August 2011 Member News
Advance Corporation (Cottage Grove, Minn.) announced a new management/sales team led by Jennifer Holm, Kathy Wilson, and Linda Apfel.
left to right: Jennifer Holm, Kathy Wilson, Linda Apfel
Jennifer Holm was named general manager. Formerly sales and marketing manager of the company’s Identification Products Division, she will be responsible for all aspects of the business. She holds an executive MBA from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn.
Kathy Wilson was named vice-president of sales and marketing. Wilson has served Advance for 20 years as sales and marketing manager of its Braille-Tac Division. As vice-president she will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s sales and marketing. She is a manufacturing industry expert in the field of ADA signage, and has been published in various trade publications. She studied political science, sociology, and anthropology at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa.
Linda Apfel was named the company’s national accounts representative. She brings a wide range of experience in sales and marketing campaigns for the awards and recognition industry. As national accounts representative, Apfel will work with multi-line reps and distributors to develop sales. Apfel holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Founded by William Lorenz in 1941 as Advance Stamp Works, Advance Corporation recently celebrated its 70th anniversary in business.
ALPOLIC (Chesapeake, Va.), a division of Mitsubishi Plastics Composites America, announced the appointment of Chris Alvares and Pete Kovacik as regional sales managers for the company's ALPOLIC aluminum and metal composite materials division.
Alvares will lead ALPOLIC's regional sales efforts as the northeast sales manager while Kovacik will be the company's north central sales manager.
Alvares has been in architectural aluminum sales since 1994. He was with US Aluminum, Tubelite, and Traco covering the Northeast with emphasis on New England. He was also formerly vice president of glazing operations for National Glass & Gate Service and USA-Glass of Chicago.
With more than 20 years' experience in the business, Kovacik has worked with Velux Skylights, Kohler Plumbing, Marvin Windows, TRACO Windows, and most recently as the commercial sales director for Serious Materials. Kovicik is also the current president-elect of the Chicago chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute.
AMRI STUDIO (Santa Rosa, Calif.) and its luminous crystal donor wall at the renowned Children's Hospital Boston were recently featured in the June issue of Healthcare Design magazine.
The article, titled “Flight of Fancy,” can also be seen on the Amri website at www.amristudio.com, along with a video created by the Children's Hospital Boston Foundation.
ASI (Dallas) has added new design features to its Pacific Interior curved-face modular interior signage system. The system also now allows designers to use photographic-quality graphics and implement true-white ink graphic designs through its new “Print on Panel” finishing technology. With the Print on Panel technology, lettering and graphics are digitally printed directly onto the signage panels.
The new design accents improve wayfinding and enhance the system’s curved styling. They are available in a wide range of colors to work with color-coded and directory-oriented wayfinding. They are also available in custom shapes and can be placed in multiple orientations between the panels.
BARCO (Rancho Cordova, Calif.) received several awards and recognition for its technology innovation during InfoComm11, the commercial A/V show held in Orlando in June.
Barco’s OVL-815 received an award for “Best Video Wall” and its RCP-120 was named award “Best Remote Control” by Commercial Integrator magazine. The publication also honored Barco's HDX W-12 as one of the “12 Hot Projectors from InfoComm” and named the FLM HD20 as one of “9 Must-See Video products at InfoComm.”
Barco visualization products were also used in several projects receiving awards at the 2011 InfoComm/LSA Staged Events Awards.
At the show, Barco introduced several new products, including the Galaxy 4K-23, a 4096x2160 resolution, three-chip DLP projector. Featuring 23,000 lumens light output, the new model produces high-fidelity, active 3D stereo imagery for use in virtual reality installations. Barco also displayed its award-winning OVL-815 LED-lit video wall and the new ECU-100 controller for its Transform A and Transform N universal visualization platforms.
CALORI & VANDEN-EYNDEN / DESIGN CONSULTANTS (New York) received three Best in Category awards in the 2011 American Graphic Design & Advertising (AGDA) awards program. The winning projects were wayfinding and signage programs for The Rockefeller University, New York; Port Imperial Ferry Terminal, Weehawken, N.J.; and Atlantic Terminal, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Set on one of the prettiest pieces of real estate in Manhattan, The Rockefeller University is among the most respected research institutions in the world. Reflecting that research foundation, C&VE designed the arched forms of the signs to recall the soft curve of chromosome pairs. Traditional materials and earthen colors make the signs look like they have always been there.
For the Port Imperial Ferry Terminal, C&VE designed ship-shaped signs that add to the sense of fun and enjoyment for travel by ferry. And for the busiest rail terminal in Brooklyn, C&VE (in conjunction with diDomenico & Partners) designed an integrated signage solution including platform identification, advertising, platform edge lighting, and cross-platform information signs.
CARBONE SMOLAN AGENCY (New York) will design signage and wayfinding for the new Museum of the Built Environment in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The signage will support FXFOWLE’s architecture and the building’s function as a cultural institution, transportation hub, and public space.
DISEÑO SHAKESPEAR (Buenos Aires) was chosen to design the visual identity for the newly reopened Recoleta Mall in Buenos Aires. The 42,000-sq.-meter shopping center includes 80 shops, 10 movie theaters, 10 restaurants, and a rooftop garden.
The studio has developed other retail branding and signage projects for Alto Palermo Shopping, Temaikén, Galerias Pacifico, Duty Free Shop, Harrods, Tortugas Mall, Patio Olmos, and Dot Baires.
Focus EGD (Dallas) recently opened a new 2,700-sq.-ft. studio space.
The company is serving as environmental graphic design and donor recognition consultant for the New Parkland Hospital, a 2.5 million-sq.-ft. replacement hospital that is currently the largest healthcare construction project in the U.S.
FocusEGD also provided wayfinding and integrated branding for the recently completed Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, a $100 million, 11,000-seat stadium built as a multi-use facility for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies in conjunction with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
A HUB/WBE-certified business, FocusEGD will also be expanding its workforce.
FROST* DESIGN (Sydney) provided identification and wayfinding for the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, which occupies the top 16 floors of the world’s tallest hotel, the landmark 118-story International Commerce Center in Kowloon. Led by Design Director Ray Parslow, Frost* created a jewel-like motif that mirrors the effortless sophistication of the finest luxury brands. Key signage elements were drawn from a ribbon of bronzed metal folded to create form. The approach blends with the contours of the hotel’s textured environment of timbers and natural stones.
Frost* also provided a dynamic identity and a sense of place for Western Australia’s Curtin University, a campus that has evolved since the university’s establishment in 1966. Traditional brick and concrete buildings sit beside structures of glass and steel. The Frost* team shaped a flexible system, with each section part of an information hierarchy: building number, building name, and building function. Each section is scalable to accommodate the variety of information.
GALLAGHER & ASSOCIATES (Silver Spring, Md.) named Cybelle Jones principal in the firm.
Jones, who specializes in museum master planning and exhibition design, has worked collaboratively with Gallagher & Associates President Patrick Gallagher for more than 18 years on projects including the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, the Normandy American Cemetery Visitor Center at Omaha Beach in France, the Jamestown Settlement Museum in Virginia, and the recently opened Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
She is currently directing the revisioning of Beit Hatfutsot - The Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, Israel, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. An adjunct professor in the graduate-level exhibition design program at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, she also serves on the SEGD Board of Directors.
"Cybelle's creative direction and leadership have been integral to the success of the firm and to our position as one of the leading professional design firms in the country," says Gallagher.
GEMINI (Cannon Falls, Minn.) has brought the production of its ceramic-insert architectural plaques in house, reducing lead-time for the plaques to just eight days.
In the past, the manufacturer of dimensional letters, logos, and plaques for the sign industry relied on European manufacturers to produce ceramic inserts, but by installing the same equipment and training production staff to the same high standards of quality, the company has reduced lead time from eight weeks to just eight working days.
Using high-quality porcelain, which is a finer grade of ceramic, Gemini employs a patented glazing process to produce unique four-color panels in sizes up to 12- by 24-in. The panels are kiln-fired at temperatures up to 2300°F to make the image a permanent part of the glaze. Originally designed for use in the memorial industry, the panels are ideal for applications such as parks, zoos, and universities.
HARBINGER (Jacksonville, Fla.) recently moved its headquarters and manufacturing facility into a 51,500-sq.-ft. building that will allow the company to reduce turnaround times and expand services.
The new facility features 35-ft. high ceilings to accommodate larger signage and multiple loading docks for faster shipping, says President Steve Williams, and its production space is 2.3 times larger than the old facility, allowing for more streamlined operations and running more equipment simultaneously.
Harbinger’s new facility will be based on lean manufacturing best practices to maximize efficiency and throughput.
A larger graphics room will accommodate additional printing technology. Previously only serving to print and cut vinyl for various signs being manufactured by Harbinger, the graphics department will have the capacity to print vinyl banners and site signs and create custom fleet graphic wraps.
In other news, Harbinger announced that sign industry veteran Don Nagel has joined the company (formerly Quality Sign Co.) as vice president, west region.
LORD CULTURAL RESOURCES (Toronto) has been contracted by the State of Bihar, India, to develop the master plan for a world-class museum on the evolution of history and culture on the Indian subcontinent. Lord will also work on implementation of the building and exhibition design for the new museum, which will be located in Patna.
It will complement the existing Patna Museum, built in 1917, and draw on its collection of ancient and medieval stone, bronze, and terracotta sculpture.
In other news, Joy Bailey, senior consultant with the firm, moderated a recent session at the Association of African American Museums annual meeting in Tallahassee, Fla. Bailey led a panel of museum professionals in the session entitled, “Stoking the Fires: Interpreting African American History in the Library.” It addressed the necessity of blurring the lines between libraries and archives as repositories and museums as interpreting spaces.
MATTHEWS PAINT (Delaware, Ohio) introduced a new and improved website at www.matthewspaint.com that features new sections specifically for designers and architects, more user-friendly navigation, online color selection tools, and environmentally friendly solutions and new products.
ROWMARK (Findlay, Ohio) introduced the Rowmark Seklema TableMat, the newest addition to its line of laser and rotary engravable products.
The Rowmark Seklema TableMat is a multi-purpose “tack-down” mat that effectively holds substrates more securely for efficient engraving. It works seamlessly with routers, rotary engravers, and laser systems. It features a usable, two-sided design that doubles the product life, says Rowmark. The material also cleans easily with water. It is available in both standard and custom sizes.
SHIKATANI LACROIX (Toronto) announced that its wayfinding project for Downsview Park was selected as a finalist in the Environmental category for the Design Edge Canada Regional Design Awards. The "Reggies" award the best of Canadian graphic design by region.
Shikatani Lacroix developed Downsview Park’s signage and wayfinding to help orient and direct users in the massive expanse of space and historical structures. Four design options of complete sign families were presented to the client, along with a wayfinding report and construction drawings.