Electro-Matic Visual Blog

Electro-Matic has a longstanding relationship with OCC—working on their led signage packages dating back the last 15 years.

Our relationship with Namdar is strong as can be, and the project we did for Tanger Outlets property is another success story of over 100 properties nationwide that we're doing from them.

Our relationship with Namdar is strong as can be, and the project we did for their Centerpointe property is another success story of over 100 properties nationwide that we're doing from them.

GSI is one of the longstanding premier sign companies in Metro Detroit servicing all of Michigan, as well as the Ohio market. We have been partnered with them selling our LED displays dating back to the mid-2000s. We primarily work with them with their Genisys Credit Union account all over Michigan as well as other projects in Detroit. We've been with them a long time and have a great partnership.

This particular project was to assist them with their own signage. It was an honor to do their signage, as their headquarters are positioned right off of in Troy, Michigan, so this Electro-Matic display has received a ton of traffic. It has benefited both of our companies in promoting or products and services to tens of thousands of cars each day. 

"It has been a pleasure working with Electro-Matic on this display for our corporate signage project. The LED display looks fantastic and we are excited about all the branding opportunities. It really presents beautifully." - Scott Gardner, CEO

"With our long and positive history working with GSI, EM Visual jumped at the chance to work with them on this project." - James Baker

Since the sign was put up in October 2020, it's been a great branding tool for GSI. They are receiving leads off of the display as well as new project opportunities from all of the exposure that this display provides.

List products and services EM used:
10 mm 3x15 EM Display

Car dealership parking lot lighting is more important than you think. LED lighting is rapidly becoming the obvious ideal option for a variety of applications, including your outside parking lot at your car dealership. That being said, LED lights are without a doubt the most energy efficient choice that is readily available on the marketplace. LED lighting for car dealerships are unrivaled in their life-span and efficiency, in comparison to traditional lighting.

Why Choose LED Lights?
LEDs can discharge an extremely high quality of light with a great series of varieties. LEDs are little lights which keep in a stable state, implying that they do not include the very same recycling or breaking concerns which is typical of other lighting applications.
LEDs supply a far better financial investment for your dollars, as the longer life-span, ease of usage and series of control will eventually conserve you running expenses in the long term, develop you a much better and more noticeable parking area.
Here are five tips in maintaining your car lot of your dealership:

Adequate Lighting
The first step that you should follow when trying to provide lights to a parking lot is to ensure that there is adequate lighting. Having adequate lighting in a parking lot is important as it will make it much safer.
Your car dealership parking lot lighting should be as energy efficient as possible. Keep in mind that your dealership will see its share of nights, dark days or severe weather conditions. LED lights will supply a much better light quality with less, so it is both more expense reliable and a better alternative. To summarize, less is more.
The parking lot should be well lit to invite and provide your dealership appropriately, and supply a reassuring, safe and clean environment which to get your clients, while motivating and impressing your personnel when they get here for their regular shifts. The quality and kind of the requirements that enter into your dealership lot’s environment will generally set the tone concerning professionalism and security for your dealership, image, and brand as a whole. Also, the lighting will heavily compliment the new cars, making the colors shine tremendously. LED lighting will significantly alter how your consumers communicate upon their impression of your business.
Not only does it need to have adequate light, but it needs to be evenly distributed throughout the lot for safety and security reasons. Not having evenly distributed light can make it very hard to see and drive, which could lead to accidents. Ideally, you should have automated lights that will turn on once it starts getting dark. Having lighting that is evenly distributed will also make any onsite security cameras much more effective at picking up images in the lot.

Dealing with Harsh Weather
With LED lighting, the parking area that is being lit up throughout the harsh weather conditions or throughout night time look like a lot more carefully to how they are throughout the day. Instead of the orange or yellow-colored tint, LED lighting supplies the natural white color which lights up the lot, dealership, and the foliage. “Dead” locations are a lot less typical, as the power of LED lighting can shine through and offer broader protection of the lot.

Energy Efficiency
When you are looking to improve the lighting in your parking lot, you should also focus on a lighting solution that is energy efficient. Parking lot lights are frequently illuminated up to 13 hours per day. Because of this, it is very easy to quickly burn through standard light bulbs and run up expensive utility bills. A more affordable and environmentally friendly option would be to invest in LED bulbs that can cut your energy usage in half.

Use Control Systems to Automate Processes and Save Energy
Many auto dealerships keep some type of lights on 24 hours a day, and while this is useful for security and for highlighting your vehicles both day and night, it can lead to some rather hefty energy bills. One way to counteract some of these costs is by combining the lights with a control system that automatically optimizes lights and only uses the minimum amount needed.

Consider Lighting Height
The height of your parking lot lighting is just as important as the type of fixtures you choose. If you choose a light pole that’s too short, the light will end up being focused on a tight area, which means having to place more light fixtures to compensate, ultimately leading to spending more money. On the other hand, using a light pole that’s too tall will cause the light to be too spread out, appearing dim as a result.

While light poles come in a variety of sizes, (such as 16 feet, 20 feet, and 25 feet) your choice will ultimately come down to the size of the parking lot. A good rule of thumb is to use taller light poles and brighter bulbs for larger parking areas.

The Lakes Mall is a 600,000 sq. ft regional shopping mall located in Muskegon County. The mall sits on a 101-acre property line and has over 40 stores and 4 anchor stores located on its premises.  

Situation
General Manager, Jonathan Pittman, pays the initial energy cost for common areas and the inline spaces in the parking lot. The energy challenge at this property, however, was that the landlord did not have separately metered spaces. Although the retailer reimburses landlords for their space energy consumption the common area had high wattage lighting throughout the mall which created an expensive lighting system.

The common area of the mall had CFL and Metal Halide lights ranging in wattage consumption from 15 - 1,000-watt bulbs.

Objective
The objective was to find a way to lower energy costs for the landlord by reducing the wattage of each fixture in the common areas of the mall starting with the parking Lot Lights.

Solution 
EM resolved a problem by diagnosing the mall's common area energy usage. They created a plan of action and implemented a project to remove high-wattage CFL and Metal Halide lights and replace them with lower-wattage LED light bulbs and fixtures.

The mall has benefited from this lighting project because the energy usage is lower causing an energy cost savings for the land lord. The mall's lighting is also brighter and gives it a cleaner and crisp look that customers and retailers can enjoy.

"The lights brought life back into the mall. Foot traffic has increased in the mall since the lights have been installed. “ Jonathan Pittman, Lakes Mall General Manager

List products and services Electro-Matic used:
We used 55 Different LED products for both inside and outside.

Any external companies that helped on the project or solution and their services provided:
Tri-State Light did the install.

Crystal Gardens is a premier banquet center that has offered elegant and spacious banquet rooms, custom table settings, and the perfect menus for more than 40 years. However, their Southgate, Michigan location had an Optec unit so out-of-date that replacement parts were no longer available.

Mike Richardson, at Mr. LED had sold them their old unit so Electro-Matic knew a replacement project with them was on the horizon for years. Through Mr. LED, EM Visual scheduled a demo with Crystal Gardens for operation and ownership. The demo featured the modern technology of our Fusion Series. Following the demo, Crystal Gardens decided to move forward with the project.

Electro-Matic upgraded the resolution significantly from what they had previously. We were able to meet the project budget and Mr. LED was able to coordinate the project efficiently.

“Working with Mike at Mr. LED Signs is always a pleasant experience. After a couple of years of consideration, Once he was able to set up the demo, the project closed very quickly. It’s a primetime installation for EMV on the main hub in Southgate on a highly viewable intersection.” 

– Visual Sales Team

Products and Services Electro-Matic used:   

• Fusion 5’ x 11 m/s 16 mm – 84 x 192
• AAA Signs, Flat Rock, MI performed the installation.

St. Blasé Catholic Church in Sterling Heights, MI utilizes LED displays to announce church and community events

St. Blasé Catholic Church is a welcoming Catholic community, located in Sterling Heights, MI.

The Situation
Located at the high-traffic, high-visibility location at the intersection of 15 Mile Road and Maple Lane Drive in Sterling Heights, MI, St. Blasé Catholic Church wanted to maximize its ability to reach out to the community via new LED signage. The existing sign, a simple brick wall with white plastic formed lettering, didn’t afford them this capability. 

The original brick wall with plastic-formed lettering offered no ability to advertise or announce events to the local community.

Objective
St. Blasé wished to have a simple, user-friendly LED signage solution that offered durability, longevity, and flexibility in the type of content media they wished to display.

Solution
Two full-color LED displays were installed into the new v-shape monument sign just two weeks after the project broke ground.

St. Blasé saw immediate results in the days following the installation of the parish’s new LED displays. On average, the church received 3-4 calls per day from people within the community interested in taking part in church events and services.

"Many of our parishioners are proud to say we are the Church with the big new sign, we are definitely getting noticed."

— Tim Doppel, Business Manager, St. Blasé Catholic Church

Products Electro-Matic used:

• 2 Full Color LED Displays: 16mm 4'x8'

Pro Care Auto is an Automotive Services small business. The owner, Greg Jarossy, contacted Electro-Matic in January of 2018. They were moving to a new property and had an old, mono electronic message center that had failed. He wanted to replace and upgrade to full color, then take his sign along with him and make the upgrade once the property closed.

Technical Situation/Analysis
Electro-Matic was able to find the sign on Google Maps to get a feel for the structure and overall design of the sign. We were able to easily recommend 2’ x 8’ m/s both at 11 mm & 16 mm for Greg’s review. We also recommended he trade places with the EMC going to the ID cabinet space, and the ID to the EMC space. This would provide him with a bigger EMC allowing him more space for his variable messages and graphic options. 

We were able to position ourselves as an asset for Greg as he reviewed both EMV and our Fusion product against some other options. He relayed that we were at the head of the pack. The project took just over a year from the first contact to close, which is a very consistent time period for a retail opportunity.

“We love it. Easy to program as well. Plus...your customer service is top-notch!”

– Greg Jarossy, Owner of Pro Auto Care

Located in Minooka, Illinois, Chapin's Banquets and Catering is a beautiful banquet hall perfect for hosting a variety of events including weddings, receptions, fundraisers, birthdays, bridal and baby showers, rehearsal dinners, business meetings, holiday parties, graduation parties, sport banquets, off-site caterings and much more. On top of the banquet hall they have an exquisite full-service restaurant called Twin Rail Pub.

Chapin's Banquets found themselves in a predicament when water began to leak into their electronic message center which caused all sorts of troubleshoot problems. The overseas vendor they purchased the sign from years ago was not delivering adequate customer service in regards to providing new parts to replace those with water damage, or any other assistance for that matter. Chapin's wanted a new EMC from a company they could depend on. It was then they reached out to Electro-Matic Visual for some help. With Twin Rail Pub being on the back side of the building many people don’t know that it is.

When presented with the project, EM Visual knew the first step was to find a size to fit, and type of resolution that would best fit the needs of this application. The Electro-Matic demo trailer made it easy to present the owner with both an 11mm and 16mm option. 

Solution: After the demo the customer had decided that he only needed a 16mm full color based on his location. With the customer up on a hill and the cars below the 16mm was the best option while keeping price in mind. Once that was decided Visions Signs took care of all installation and permitting.

Benefits: With the new 16mm fusion message center Chapin’s and Twin Rail Pub with now have full exposure to promote their events. Chapin’s will use the message center as a way to advertise their services, but also advertise what event is going on. As far as Twin Rail Pub they now will gain street exposure and use this to promote food and beverage specials.

List products and services EM used:
16mm 60x144 LED Display.

External companies that helped on the project or solution and their services provided:
Visions Signs was the sign company that sold and installed the project.