ISA has released the 2018 Pulse of the Industry Report, a snapshot of the current state of the industry based on survey answers from hundreds of companies in the sign, graphics, and visual communications field. Results indicate that businesses have continued growth, with many actively investing in new equipment and seeking to hire new employees.
Key takeaways include:
- The top three concerns for shops are: finding and training workers (“soft skills” such as productivity and timeliness cause the most headaches for employers), sign codes and regulations, and competition for contracts.
- Fifty-five percent of respondents say their company will grow 10 percent or more in 2018. Opportunities for large-scale projects, investment for new business development, and customers that are themselves growing and requiring new signage are some of the reasons cited for growth.
- Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed plan to probably or definitely invest in new equipment in the coming year.
- Many PSPs are adding new staff, with 71 percent of survey respondents looking to hire new production/installation, sales, graphic design/creative, operations/management, and administrative team members in 2018.
For more information or to purchase the full report, visit signs.org/pulse.