Page 35 - BusinessWest September 14 2020

Berkshire County
Delivering the Message
Graphic Impact Signs Continues
to Build on Its Broad Portfolio of Clients
JBy George O’Brien
ohn Renzi says that, when the pandemic arrived in mid- March, the sign industry, like most all others, was hit hard.
Indeed, as a sector that has always been a good barometer of the economy and one that suffers greatly during downturns, the sign busi- ness was impacted by the pandemic in a number of ways, said Renzi,
a principal and account executive with Pittsfield-based Graphic Impact Signs (GIS). He listed everything from the prompt shutdown of the events, sports, and entertainment industries and a halt to orders from those solid customers, to disruptions in the sup- ply chain that have hindered many players in this large and diverse field from completing orders they do have.
GIS has certainly not been immune from any of this, said Renzi, but he believes the company acquired by his father 33 years ago has fared better than most because of the two traits that have defined it from the begin- ning: flexibility and resiliency.
They have been displayed in every- thing from how the company has pivoted and started making new lines of products, such as the plexiglass bar- riers now seen in all kinds of business- es, to how it has maneuvered its way through those supply-chain issues by working with suppliers and stockpil- ing essential materials that are now in very short supply.
Regarding those barriers, or shields, the company tacked in that
A team from Graphic Impact Signs installs a sign for Berkshire Bank.
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