From the Driver’s Seat: Do More for Less...The Value of Glenco’s Sign Refacing

The current geo-political and economic climate has inflated the costs of aluminum to a multi-year high. This means that the cost to produce traffic signs, which are made of aluminum, have skyrocketed, but they still must be maintained and upgraded to ensure roadway safety. Glenco’s Sign Reface Program offers an economical way to maintain signage for optimal visibility and safety while keeping costs more manageable. Instead of purchasing new signs, municipalities can reface their old signs to look brand new. This approach stretches budgets while reducing waste and minimizing aluminum scrap in landfills.

Because reflective sign sheeting has a limited lifespan, it is essential to replace signs every 10-12 years. We help municipalities start the process by devising a plan and developing a schedule that maintains optimal traffic safety while lowering costs.  The plan is based on plow routes or sanitation routes, so there is an established pattern created by the municipality to manage the project. 

Our customers collect their old signs from streets and storage facilities and we replace the old surfaces with 3M Hi-Intensity or 3M Diamond Grade (HIP/DG3) reflective sign faces, which improves visibility and restores the signs to look and reflect like brand new.

Glenco President Glen Abrams explains the value of the sign refacing: 

“With rising aluminum costs, new signage is putting budgetary pressure on many municipalities. Glenco is pleased to offer this innovative and cost-effective program as a solution to that challenge—and we are one of the only local suppliers that provide this service.  It’s a unique value proposition, because we really do save our customers money, while offering a greener approach to traffic and street sign safety. Instead of dumping piles of metal into landfills, we clean up the signs, resurface them with top-quality materials, and return them to the streets like new.”

Sign refacing delivers significant cost savings, particularly in this inflationary economy with aluminum costs at such a high point. In the past, old signs would be sold to a salvage yard for pennies on the dollar or end up in a landfill, which likely means a cost for disposal—neither of which is good news for a municipal budget or the environment. A Glenco refaced stop sign, whose appearance is virtually indistinguishable from the new one, is offered for 30% less than a new sign.  When multiplied by the hundreds or thousands of signs required in a city or town, refacing saves a lot of taxpayer dollars and enables municipalities to use these savings to Do more for less with Glenco Supply, Inc.

To learn more about Glenco’s refacing program, and our other products and services, please visit our website.