SIC 3993 | NAICS 339950
The following guide to industry information, research, and analysis provides sources for industry trends and statistics, financial ratios, salary surveys, and more.
Comprehensive research reports provide in-depth industry analysis and five-year growth forecasts, with special focus on the underlying structure and external forces and relationships that affect industries and their performance. Topics addressed in the reports include:
Monthly trade journal features news and information for sign and commercial graphics professionals, with topics covered in various issues of the publication including products, markets, trends, skill sets, and technologies and sections focused on specific areas of interest including electrical signage, vinyl wraps, digital graphics and finishing, specialty imaging, and architectural and environmental signage.
Signs 101
https://www.signs.org/
Introductory section provides descriptions of the different types of
signs─including building-mounted
(e.g., awning, canopy, roof, band,
wall, window), digital (e.g., point-of-purchase, lobby, menu, video),
freestanding (e.g., directional, tenant, message center, monument,
pole), and interior (e.g., directory, directions, tenant, point-of-purchase, regulatory)─and
an extensive glossary of terms and definitions.
Industry Size and Scope
https://www.signs.org/
Economic impact study conducted by Ernst & Young LLP measures the direct and
indirect economic effect of sign manufacturers and other firms
that contribute to their output on the U.S. economy, with information
provided including number of companies, direct and indirect economic
output, number of employees, value of goods and services purchased, employees
wages paid, and total tax payments.
Quarterly Economic Report
https://www.signs.org/
Quarterly publication analyzes key market segments on an upstream and downstream basis
to allow users to stay current with
evolving business conditions and expected future trends and market shifts,
with upstream and downstream market
segments assessed including two supplier markets―printing
and electrical/digital signage–and
two end markets–electric/digital signage and architectural signage.
Pulse Survey
https://www.signs.org/
Annual report provides a snapshot of where the industry is and
where it is headed, with respondents weighing in on their business
performance for the past six months and
for the upcoming year ahead, and also providing insights on
hiring and equipment purchasing plans and
the most important issues and
challenges facing their business. Current and past survey
reports are available to members only.
Annual survey provides detailed information on the graphics and sign printing community, with topics covered in the report including company demographics, types of technologies used, capital spending plans, markets served, types of products offered, customer credit terms, current business conditions, sales trends, barriers to growth, business strategies, expected hiring needs, and industry confidence.
Five-year financial statement analysis includes income statements, balance sheets, and key financial ratios, with data available by sales size range on a national, state, and metro area level including:
Financial benchmarking section of this report provides an analysis of industry income and expenses as a percentage of annual revenue for establishments that manufacture traditional non-electric signs (e.g., billboards, trade show exhibits, and storefront, interior, and display signs) and digital signs that use LEDs, plasma panels, and other technologies (e.g., billboards, video displays, and scoreboards).
Annual compensation survey provides a detailed analysis of salaries, wages, and employee benefits for 60 job positions in the sign, graphics, and visual communications industry, with positions covered in the survey ranging from data entry clerk to chief executive officer and compensation data reported by company size and geographic region to allow users to compare their wages and benefits to peers.
Free online service provides salary, bonus, and hourly wage data for job positions in this sector such as project manager, production manager, graphic designer, CNC operator, metal fabricator, and sign maker, with companies for which salary or hourly wage data is provided including Signtech Electrical Advertising Inc., Sign & Graphics Operations LLC, Sign-A-Rama Inc., and Fastsigns International Inc.
Interactive database provides detailed transaction data for over 38,000 private and public companies sold for prices ranging from under $250,000 to over $500,000,000, with valuation measures provided including market value of invested capital as a multiple of revenue, gross profit, EBIT, EBITDA, SDE, and book value of invested capital. User guide, free webinar, and sample reports are available online.