Sign Manufacturers
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 5,700 sign manufacturers in the US produce signs and displays (excluding paper and paperboard-based sign products) for commercial, institutional, and government use. Major revenue categories include non-electric signs and displays, electric signs and displays, and trade show exhibits. Other products and services include digital printing, commercial screen printing, and commercial lithographic printing. Firms may also generate revenue from installation, maintenance, and repair services.
Competition From Alternative Forms Of Advertising
Signs compete with alternative forms of advertising, such as television, print, direct mail, and digital media.
More Digital Displays
Improved image quality, the ability to offer dynamic content, and better durability is motivating customers to migrate to digital signage.
Industry size & Structure
The average sign manufacturer operates out of a single location, employs fewer than 10 workers, and generates $2.2 million in annual revenue.
- The sign manufacturing industry consists of about 5,700 firms that employ 75,300 workers and generate about $12.3 billion annually.
- The industry is fragmented; the top 50 companies account for 33% of industry revenue.
- The industry includes national firms, regional firms, franchises, and independent operators.
- Large companies include Daktronics, Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO), and Fastsigns.
- Large firms may have operations in foreign markets. Subcontracting to sign manufacturers outside of local markets allows small firms to serve remote customers.
Industry Forecast
Sign Manufacturers Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Apr 10, 2025 - Sign Makers Brace for Aluminum Tariffs
- Sign manufacturers are preparing for the potential impacts of new tariffs imposed on US aluminum imports, according to the International Sign Association (ISA). On March 12, the Trump administration’s 25% tariff on all US steel and aluminum imports went into effect. Aluminum is widely used in signage due to its high strength-to-weight ratio and resistance to corrosion and rust. Industry insiders estimate that the US sign industry consumes about $600 million of aluminum annually. In a recent statement, the Aluminum Association said the US aluminum industry imports about two-thirds of its primary aluminum from Canada because US smelters operating at 100% capacity cannot meet demand. Some sign industry firms expect aluminum prices to increase by as much as 30% by the end of April. Sign companies have also reported that some national accounts have postponed rebranding plans (refreshed signage) due to potential price volatility and supply chain disruptions brought on by tariffs.
- In March, the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) Small Business Optimism Index fell 3.3 points to 97.4, just below the 51-year average of 98. The percentage of businesses that expect better business conditions declined 16 percentage points to a net-negative 21%. At 19%, labor quality was the most significant problem small business owners said they faced, followed by taxes at 18%. About 40% of those surveyed said they had job openings they had difficulty filling. NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said, “The implementation of new policy priorities has heightened the level of uncertainty among small business owners over the past few months. Small business owners have scaled back expectations on sales growth as they better understand how these rearrangements might impact them.” Capital spending by small businesses is a key demand driver for signage.
- Out-of-home (OOH) advertising spending is forecast to rise 4.8% in 2025 to a record $10 billion, according to a March forecast by advertising firm MAGNA. Digital out-of-home (DOOH) will account for most of the growth in 2025, rising 12% to $3.5 billion and accounting for 35% of total OOH sales. Urban OOH segments such as transit and street furniture are expected to see the strongest gains in 2025, rising 10% and 8%, respectively. Billboards are forecast to see revenue growth of about 3%. MAGNA projects that local brands will outperform national ones in 2025. In the national brand space, connections between DOOH networks and specialist and omnichannel programmatic platforms will continue to make incremental gains.
- Commercial bankruptcy filings increased 10% in March 2025 compared to a year earlier, according to Epiq Systems and ABI. Commercial Chapter 11 filings increased by 20% in March. Epiq Vice President Michael Hunter said, “The 20 percent rise in commercial Chapter 11 filings to 733 in March 2025, up from 611 last year, signals persistent economic pressure, mirrored by a 10 percent increase in total commercial filings to 2,727,” said Michael Hunter, Vice President of Epiq AACER. “Meanwhile, credit card delinquencies have hit a near 10-year high, driven by rising interest rates and consumer debt burdens.” Higher numbers of commercial bankruptcies could reduce demand for signage.
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