The Flexlume Sign Company has over 100 years of experience helping local businesses to create the best building signage in Buffalo. It’s a fact that every commercial sign project is unique, but some of them are exquisitely extraordinary.
Below are three standout success stories that highlight our problem-solving, precision engineering, and project management in action.
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Merchants Insurance Group - Custom Blade Sign
The building for Merchants Insurance Group supports a 50-foot tall blade-style sign. This iconic sign was more than 40 years old, and was showing its age. Flexlume’s on-site survey of the sign found corrosion in the sign frame itself and its mounting hardware, and the custom lettering was beginning to break apart. This made the project more complicated than a mere sign replacement.
On top of duplicating the look and feel of the original sign, the structural steel beneath the brick facade needed reinforcement and custom mounts installed. In order to maintain the look of the historic building, the facade's brick was repointed after the structural work was complete.
Key project highlights:- Reinforcing the structural steel beneath the brick façade
- Installing custom mounts
- Repointing brick to match the historic building’s architecture
Due to its size, the sign needed to be created in sections, assembled on site, and fit perfectly onto the new supports. Safety was a major concern on this project, so Flexlume worked with local authorities to maintain traffic flow around the area, while keeping passersby protected from injuries. This Buffalo building signage project was completed in the summer of 2020 and is sure to remain a Buffalo landmark for decades to come.
Read the full Merchants Insurance Success Story
Buffalo Bills - Highmark Stadium Rebrand
With a fresh 10-year agreement on the Buffalo Bills stadium naming rights, Flexlume was chosen as the preferred sign company to spearhead the project. In the design phase, we worked very closely with brand managers for both the Bills and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York so that both organizations had equal prominence and visibility.
The main highlight of the project was a massive channel letter sign, which required a 100-foot-long installation pattern to ensure perfect placement of each letter, along with custom mounting to support it all. Beyond that, existing internal signs were removed while the stadium’s surfaces were refinished. Many of those signs were reinstalled in new locations, which required new staging to mount them, and electrical supply lines to reach the new locations.
Key project highlights:- A 100-foot-long channel letter sign with precise installation patterns
- Custom mounting and electrical rerouting for repositioned internal signage
- Coordination with stadium operations for tight timelines and zero disruption
Significant project management was an absolute necessity for a project at this scale, which was absolutely worth it when looking at the final product.
This initiative was part of a broader effort to update the stadium’s signage in a way that Buffalo fans would notice. All signage updates were completed before the first exhibition game of the season on August 13, 2022, giving fans an exciting new visual experience at Highmark Stadium.
Read the full Buffalo Bills Stadium Success Story
M&T Bank - Seneca One
The Seneca One complex, featuring a 6-story base with a 40-story tower on top, showcases signage that residents of Buffalo see from afar. After its completion, M&T Bank approached Flexlume to design, manufacture, and install a custom channel letter sign at the top of the tower on each of its faces. This meant creating 28 individual characters, each one up to 12 feet tall and weighing more than 800 pounds.
These massive letters needed to be sturdy enough to be hoisted up 40 floors, and endure the strong winds coming off Lake Erie. However, the building’s window-washing/maintenance staging couldn’t be blocked, which meant the sign could only be two inches deep. A combination of thick aluminum channels and specialized rigging equipment created the necessary rigidity. For added protection, each letter was coated with specialized paint to provide corrosion resistance for 10+ years.
Working closely with M&T Bank’s brand managers, we developed a plan to meet the complex lighting needs for the signs. Each sign was individually controllable through a wireless system to highlight specific letters. The letters also needed multiple levels of dimming to adjust for changes in daylight. Hundreds of interconnected LEDs evenly distribute light throughout the signs, and at every stage of brightness.
Key project highlights:
- 28 custom letters, up to 12 ft tall and 800 lbs each
- Engineered for wind resistance while maintaining a 2-inch depth to preserve maintenance access
- Corrosion-resistant coatings for long-term durability
- Wireless, dimmable LED lighting to adjust brightness with daylight conditions
Despite the complexity, the entire installation was completed between December 2020 and May 2021 without disrupting building operations or tenants. The result is one of the most technically challenging and visually impressive building signage in Buffalo.
Read the full M&T Bank - Seneca One Success Story
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of signs does Flexlume make?
Flexlume designs and manufactures channel letters, blade signs, and illuminated signage, delivering custom solutions for commercial buildings and branded spaces.
Can Flexlume handle tall buildings or large-scale projects?
Yes. We specialize in complex installs like high-rise towers and stadiums, managing everything from design to safe, code-compliant installation.
Do you replace historic signs?
We can replicate historic or legacy signage with updated materials and hidden structural reinforcements to preserve the original appearance.
How long does a custom signage project take?
Most custom sign projects take 6–12 weeks, depending on size, permitting, and complexity.
Do you provide lighting and electrical integration?
Yes. We offer custom lighting, including LED and dimmable systems, tailored to your brand and location.
Why Flexlume Delivers the Best Signage in Buffalo
Flexlume's rich history and expertise as a national sign company have been instrumental in the successful completion of iconic projects in Buffalo, NY and across the nation.
We are committed to providing innovative, durable, and visually stunning signage that businesses throughout Buffalo can rely on. Our team excels at navigating:
- Structural challenges
- Tight deadlines
- Advanced lighting requirements
- Brand compliance
From iconic sports venues to skyscrapers and historic buildings, our signs are built to perform and designed to last.
Let’s Make Your Sign Project the Next Success Story
Looking to elevate your brand with high-impact building signage in Buffalo? Contact us today to discover how your signage project can be the next success story.
