Sign Manufacturers NAICS 339950

Oct 10, 2025 - US Business Applications Rise

• The rate of US business applications, a key demand indicator for sign manufacturers, increased 0.5% in August 2025 compared to the prior month, according to the US Census Bureau. The Midwest led Application growth with a rise of 1.9%, followed by the South (+1%), and the Northeast (+0.4%). Business applications in the West declined by 1.2% in August. Of the 20 major industry sectors tracked by the Census Bureau, 13 posted growth in August, led by utilities (up 20.7%), agriculture (+4.6%), information (+3.7%), retail trade (+2.9%), and accommodation and food services (+2.5%). Industries that notched the largest drops in August business applications included unclassified (down 11.1%), mining (-6.4%), and finance and insurance (-2.2%).
• Sign manufacturers are tackling how the industry and its customers could be impacted by a surge in electricity consumption driven by AI, according to the International Sign Association (ISA). The ISA supported portions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that aim to streamline the permitting and approval process for adding capacity to the grid, and is lobbying in Washington, DC to advocate for grid modernization. The ISA suggests that sign companies assess their energy consumption through energy audits, smart controls, and switch energy-intensive processes to off-peak hours. In dealing with clients, sign firms may also promote energy lifecycle cost awareness, energy-efficient LEDs, solar-powered signage, and smart controllers that dim or turn off signage lighting when not in use.

• The global market for medical digital signs has a current value of $6.2 billion and is projected to experience average annual growth of more than 10.6% through 2023 to reach a value of $19.7 billion, according to Orion Market Research. Hospitals, clinics, and other medical settings are increasingly leveraging digital signage for wayfinding and to improve communication and patient engagement. Key systems include kiosks, video walls, digital posters, and transparent screens that are cloud-integrated and can offer AI-enabled content personalization. North America is currently the largest market for medical digital signage, but Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing.
• Out-of-home (OOH) advertising spending is forecast to rise 2.2% in 2025 to $9.9 billion, according to a Summer 2025 forecast by advertising firm MAGNA. Total quarterly ad spending growth is expected to soften through the end of 2025 amid ongoing concerns about global trade. However, macroeconomic indicators are projected to stabilize next year. US ad spending is forecast to improve in 2026, boosted by cyclical drivers including the Winter Olympics and the US hosting of the World Cup.