Watchfire® Case Study: Watch What Happens.
AUTOMOTIVE :: Merchants Auto - Hooksett, N.H.
Background
When Merchants Auto first sought to upgrade its signage in the
90's, the successful New Hampshire-based used car dealership turned
to Watchfire Signs. At the time, they purchased a bulb unit. That
transaction marked the beginning of what has become a lasting
relationship between the two companies, and it was no surprise that
Merchants Auto called on Watchfire again when it was ready to
upgrade to a larger, LED sign solution.
Results
Michael Sydney, Vice President of Merchants Auto, had a pretty
good idea about what brand of LED sign he wanted. Still, he did his
due diligence, obtaining quotes and references from LED sign
dealers and manufacturers from around the country. In the end,
though, the answer was clear: Watchfire Signs was still the best
choice.
:: SIGN SPECS ::
XVS 19mm Color
LED
Matrix: 128 x 416
16 Lines x 83 Characters
10' High x 30' Wide
Case Study
Merchants Auto knows the value of longevity in business. After
all, the used car dealership has been in business since the 1960s,
when current Vice President Michael Sydney's father-in-law opened
it. So when the time came for Merchants Auto to upgrade to a
larger, more modern sign solution, it decided to purchase from
Watchfire Signs - the same company that sold it a bulb sign two
decades earlier.
"We were looking for something dramatic that would positively
affect the retail sales operation," Sydney said. "Our other sign
was becoming ancient, and we were interested in joining our
community's rebate program for the reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions."*
With these objectives in mind, Sydney enlisted the help of local
sign company, Jutras Signs. Cathy Champagne, President of Jutras
Signs, had prior experience as a Watchfire dealer, and was familiar
with the product. "Merchants Auto really put their trust in us to
help them pick the right sign," Champagne said. "And based on our
experience, we felt that a 19mm Watchfire LED was the best choice for the
impact they were looking for."
Sydney trusted Champagne's judgment. After all, his own research
suggested the same thing. "When we were first looking for a sign,
there were few vendors who provided the product that we wanted. Out
of those, Watchfire had great references and reports from users. I spoke
to people as far out as Detroit, and everyone said the Watchfire
sign is just awesome."
Merchants Auto bought the sign hoping it would modernize its
storefront, attract customers, and help the dealership take better
advantage of its location near a busy highway. So far, the new
sign has lived up to their hopes. "People really notice it, and
they comment on it," Sydney said. "Just by raising people's
awareness that we're here, it's working."
While the product is top-notch, Champagne also credits the Watchfire sales staff for the
appeal of their products. "I believe the relationship between our
local Watchfire representative Bill Smillie and Merchants Auto
really helped them through the sale," she said. Sydney agreed,
attributing his loyalty to the Watchfire brand partly to its
"wonderful and knowledgeable representatives."
"Jutras Signs and Watchfire were both great, and I'm very happy
with the end result," he said.
Apparently, many other nearby businesses are impressed, too.
Sydney said that several other business operators have inquired
about where to buy a
similar sign. "We've only had the new sign for half a year, but
we already have had prospective Watchfire customers stopping in to
see it," Sydney laughed. "I'm always more than happy to help
Watchfire make another sale. It's a great company with a great
product."
* The new sign also helped Merchants Auto take advantage of an
energy efficiency program his state was offering. With the help of
his utilities service rep, Merchants Auto was able to consolidate
its electrical usage and have the new LED sign monitored to
determine energy savings. In the end, Merchants Auto received a
$50,000 rebate check from their local utility company.
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