Business Partners for 30 Years
Harbinger and Gate Petroleum have quite a few things in common – both companies were founded in Jacksonville, they are family-run businesses and they have worked together for 30 years. What started as a sign for a single location – a tennis club – has grown to managing the signage program for Gate's Southern Division, comprised of c-store and gasoline stations.
"The partnership has been successful because we've always delivered high-quality signage at competitive pricing," explained Jerry Johnson, Harbinger sales representative who has worked with Gate Petroleum from the beginning and continues to devote his part-time day solely to the account. "As well, Gate has always been very receptive to our recommendations."
One example is Harbinger's recommendation that Gate Petroleum switch to using LEDs. Therefore, two years ago Gate decided to make the change. LEDs are now used in all new locations. Harbinger also is retrofitting existing signs with LEDs and upgrading Gate to electronic gas price signs.
"The low maintenance and energy cost savings of LEDs really convinced Gate to try the new technology. Also, eliminating the need for employees to go outside to change gas prices was appealing," Johnson explained.
Today, the signage program for Gate consists of electronic gas price signs, fascia signs, pylon signs and various interior signs, including the branded Beer Igloo sign.
New Online Customer Portal Enhances Communication, Streamlines Sign Installation Projects
Harbinger, a national sign engineering and manufacturing firm, is introducing an online customer portal to better serve its multi-location clients. Through the portal, customers in the retail, convenience store, grocery and foodservice industries with multiple locations and simultaneous sign installation projects will have access to real-time project updates and status, among other features. The online portal is currently being tested and is scheduled to launch Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010.
Using a client login on Harbinger’s website, customers will have access to quotes, inventory, drawings of sign mock-ups and graphics, project and order history, invoices, and project status. As well, some multi-location clients may have access to customized approved-product catalogs, especially for those with franchises where it is important for the franchise owners to select from signage options that meet corporate brand standards.
“An increasing number of customers ask us to manage their signage installation or sign retrofitting programs nationwide. For example, we are retrofitting signage in more than 1,750 locations for one customer,” explained Steve Williams, president of Harbinger. “By investing in the technology to most efficiently manage these projects, Harbinger can continue to meet customer expectations while streamlining our internal processes.”
Harbinger will offer the service free to clients that meet certain criteria. The company expects the online portal will further streamline its internal processes by serving as a central location for project and customer information.
Harbinger Showcases Newest LED Sign Technology at NACS Show
For the first time, Harbinger will be exhibiting its LED lighting retrofit system and offering a free signage energy comparison at its booth (#776) during the NACS Show, Oct. 6-8, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Using sign cabinet displays, Harbinger will showcase the latest LED technology for illuminating exterior signs and will demonstrate its LED retrofitting process for existing signage.
Environmentally friendly LED lighting is available in all of Harbinger’s signage, and the company is a leader in the creation of double-faced, LED-illuminated pylon signs. Harbinger was the first to implement LEDs in these types of signs, which are most commonly used by convenience stores, gas stations, grocery chains and restaurants. The use of LED lights provides significant reductions in carbon footprints and an estimated 60 to 80 percent in energy costs.
LED solutions that will be featured include double-faced pylon signs, channel signs, under canopy lighting, building wash lighting, parking lot illumination, and freezer lights.
Harbinger also will display digital gas price signage technology. By partnering with FM, Harbinger can provide to clients the largest selection of digit sizes and available fonts including those approved by most major oil companies. As well, the signage is a modular design with only four components per sign – LED panel, RF receiver, power supply and control unit – and software-controlled security.
Visitors to Harbinger’s booth also can register for a complimentary signage energy and maintenance comparison audit. By analyzing items such as the number of locations, current maintenance costs of signs and types of signs and illumination, Harbinger creates an energy and maintenance comparison that will gauge the projected energy and maintenance savings per sign that could be realized if LED lighting technology is used.
Convenience Store Chain Implements LEDs Nationwide
One of our national convenience store clients is reducing its carbon footprint and environmental impact is by switching to LED lighting. In 2010, Harbinger was retained to retrofit the signage in more than 1,750 locations nationwide – and to do it within the year.
In addition to researching and developing a LED lighting solution, Harbinger fine-tuned its project management process to ensure support of hundreds of retrofits simultaneously in varying stages. On average, Harbinger completes 230 retrofit installs for this client per month. Through Harbinger’s national network of local installers, the project is rolling out state-by-state.
Each retrofit is custom fit per location. The process begins with an on-site survey of the sign cabinet at the store location. Even though the client often has standard-size cabinets, the particular size must be verified. Back at the manufacturing facility, Harbinger cuts the Q Strips, wire and necessary parts to size, adds the LED lights to the strip and connects the power supply. The fully assembled lighting kits are then packaged and shipped out to the installer with precise installation instructions created by Harbinger. The instructions include both written steps and graphic depictions to ensure the on-site retrofit is implemented correctly and efficiently.
Harbinger has completed more than 75 percent of the installs to date, with each install being on time or ahead of schedule. In addition to staying on schedule, our client is pleased to start reducing its energy costs per sign by up to 80 percent with consistently lit brand identification signs.
Lighting the Way (National Petroleum News)
Harbinger was an expert source for a story about lighting solutions for the convenience store and gas station industry in National Petroleum News magazine's August 2010 issue.
In fact, LEDs have been around for more than 40 years, but for a long time they were primarily used in alarm clocks, flashlights and automobile taillights.
“This was in large part because they were previously only available in red—the naturally occurring color of the technology,” said Steve Williams, president of Harbinger. “Now you can purchase them in a variety of colors, and as the technology has advanced, prices have dropped. As a result, usability has dramatically increased, and they are playing an integral role in the green energy push.”
Based on Harbinger's research and experience, they anticipate that the next major technology to take hold in the signage industry will be luminescent plastic. "Luminescent plastic is lit from within, without separate bulbs or wiring. Because signage using this technology would not require a cabinet to house the bulbs, the plastic would provide significant flexibility in sign design," Williams said.
The full story Lighting the Way.