Merchants Insurance - Custom Blade Sign

Project Background

In 2019 Merchants Insurance Group's 40+ year old blade sign began to show signs of wear.  The custom acrylic lettering was beginning to fracture, mounts and other materials were corroding and the structural supports were beginning to be questioned.  Having worked with Flexlume for many years. Merchants Insurance Group turned to our team to replace the historic sign with a durable, modern custom blade sign while preserving the iconic look that had made its headquarters a Buffalo landmark.

Key Challenges

It is never simple to construct and install a sign that is 50' tall. The simple elegance of Merchant's custom blade sign was rooted in a surprising amount of structural and installation complexity, something that became clear during the first survey. There was evidence of corrosion in the sign frame itself and its mounting hardware, and the custom lettering was beginning to break apart.

The project also had to preserve the historic appearance of the building while addressing safety, structural, and logistical constraints.

More specific challenges included:

• Structural Reinforcement: The steel beneath the brick facade showed signs of deterioration and required reinforcement before the new sign could be safely installed.
• Historic Design Preservation: The replacement sign needed to maintain the look and feel of the original, including its 2-inch-thick illuminated acrylic letters, while preserving the character of the building and its historic Main Street setting.
• Safety & Installation Logistics: Removing and replacing a 50-foot-tall blade sign required careful planning to protect pedestrians, manage neighborhood traffic, coordinate with local authorities, and safely transport and assemble the sign in sections.
• Precision Fit: The new sign had to align precisely with newly fabricated structural supports and mounting hardware while minimizing disruption to the building facade.

Solution

Flexlume's custom blade sign solution extended far beyond manufacturing the sign itself. It involved a comprehensive plan to manufacture a sign that preserved the client's aesthetic and historical requirements, aligned with the updated structural supports, and ensured safe, efficient execution from the first weld to the final installation and cleanup.

The overall signage solution included:

• A custom 50' tall blade sign constructed in sections to facilitate transport and installation.
• 2" thick custom routed acrylic letters to project from the face similarly to the original 1970's era blade sign.
• Modern LED lighting components and power supplies to provide visibility up and down Main Street Buffalo.
• Removal of the surface brick, reinforcement of the building's structural steel, addition of custom mounts, and repointing of the facade's brick to restore the original look.
• A comprehensive safety & logistics plan to ensure a smooth, safe, and efficient replacement of the signage.

Outcome

The new signage was completed and installed in the summer of 2020 with minimal impact on the neighborhood. The finished project preserved the iconic look of the original sign while providing a safer, more durable structure designed to remain a Buffalo landmark for decades to come.

Looking for a Custom Blade Sign Partner You Can Count On?

Contact Flexlume to learn how we help businesses design, manufacture, and install signs that balance brand identity, visibility, and long-term durability.

About Merchants Mutual Liability Company

On March 5, 1918, Merchants Mutual Liability Company opened for business.  It was founded by Urban F. Jehle, owner and operator of a grocery store on Buffalo’s West Side.  He returned from a grocers’ convention with the idea of banding merchants together for the mutual protection of their delivery vehicles. J.R. Young, a local insurance man, Owen B. Augspurger, a Buffalo lawyer, and C.W. Brown, a civil engineer, joined him.  They envisioned a company that would write automobile insurance through local independent agents. Mr. Jehle served as president of the company until 1923.

Over the years, Merchants Insurance Group has continued to grow and evolve, bringing technology and quality products and services to its agents, policyholders, and communities.