Trade Partner: Sharon Stein and Tom Giampia, Creative Image Design, Port Chester, NY

When Creative Image Design (CID) wanted to score big with the New York Knicks, they turned to Clarke Systems.

Here’s why:

SS: The training center head coach and general manager needed a wall system to keep track of all the teams and players in three divisions each, in the Eastern and Western Conferences. What they had was an acrylic set up on which they used dry erase markers so they could change or move names as things progressed in the season. It was a mess.

One of the Knicks’ vendors who also worked with CID recommended them to the team management. Sharon and Tom in turn recommended the Slatz® component sign system from Clarke Systems.

SS: They required two set-ups – one for the coaches and one for the managers. I thought of Slatz immediately. They needed this thing systematized in a way that would give them the flexibility to make changes neatly and easily. I knew the system would work because we could use first-surface graphics on the faceplates. That would make them easy to change.

CID used Slatz extrusions for the headers, the lead-ins to each team category and the basic framing. Then things got tricky.

SS: We wanted the individual name pieces to be on magnetic-backed acrylic. You guys had to figure out for us how to build the supports into the sign using the Slatz system and give it the flexibility the Knicks needed.

It wasn’t a matter of just sticking magnetic on the back of the acrylic. CID wanted to be sure it wouldn’t slip or turn askew so each magnetized piece had to fit into a routed track. The two 8’w x 3’h signs, butted on top of one another, were really a customized, multi-column directory. The whole thing was mounted on a back board for stability and easy installation.

SS: We applied the copy in matte black vinyl, which is easy to remove and replace. When they need changes, they overnight the strips to us. We fix them and ship them right back. They keep extra blanks on hand and apply the copy with markers until we can make the changes for them. It’s nice return business.

What keeps Creative Image Design returning to Clarke Systems?

SS: We think about Clarke for these things because you allow us to be creative; you aren’t afraid of what we imagine! We can dream it up on paper and Clarke Systems can make it a reality for us. We know the components; Clarke knows how to make it happen. We enjoy working back and forth with you to achieve what we want.

What do we at Clarke Systems like about this job?

We like the fact that Creative Image Design got creative with our product. They see the huge potential that the Slatz system offers the sign maker. We provide the basic building blocks to enable our customers to work their magic. We love it when we get a challenge. We love it even better when our customers’ customers are happy. That way everybody scores points.

Thank you Sharon and Tom!