When Shane R. Storie founded SRS Signs & Services in 1999, he started small, changing lightbulbs in burnt-out signs around Winnipeg, but soon moved beyond strictly service and into production. From humble beginnings with just a vinyl plotter and a couple rolls of material, Storie eventually transformed SRS into the one-stop, in-house manufacturing sign shop it is today.
当沙恩·R·斯托里在1999年创立SRS标识与服务公司时，他在温尼伯从标识的维修服务开始起步，但很快就从严格的服务转向自己来生产标识。一切从简开始，从只有一个塑料绘图仪和几卷材料，到最终斯托里把SRS变成了今天这样的一站式、内部制造的标识公司。
The company’s 27 staff members—and Binx, the shop dog—work out of a 929-m2 (10,000-sf) facility located in the heart of Winnipeg. The business’s success hinges on an overall commitment to customer satisfaction: regardless of project size, team members work with their clients every step of the way—from design to production to installation.
该公司的27名员工和看门犬宾克斯，在温尼伯中心的929平方米(10000平方英尺)的办公场地里工作。企业的成功取决于对客户满意度的整体承诺:无论项目规模大小，团队成员都与客户一起工作，从设计到生产到安装的每一步都是如此。
The Winnipeg sign was a huge undertaking for SRS. The project required a concentrated team effort, reliant on the experience and craftsmanship of dedicated employees.
温尼伯标识对SRS来说是一个巨大的工程。该项目需要专业团队的努力，还需依赖于敬业员工的经验和技能。
The SRS team was recognized at this year’s Best of Canada’s Sign Industry Awards (BOCSIes), taking top honours in the channel letters category. The winning project had been commissioned in the summer of 2017 by the Canada Summer Games Host Society. Winnipeg had been selected as host city for the Canada Summer Games, and the Society wanted to commemorate the event by donating a permanent keepsake. The SRS team was thrilled to be selected for the project, which would be comprised of 2.4-m (8-ft) high colour-changing channel letters, spelling out the name of the city.
SRS团队获得了今年加拿大最佳标识行业奖(BOCSIes)的认可，获得了发光标识类别的最高荣誉。获胜的项目是由加拿大夏季奥运会主办协会在2017年夏天委托进行的。温尼伯被选为加拿大夏季奥运会的主办城市，协会希望通过捐赠永久性的纪念品来纪念这一事件。SRS团队很高兴被选中参与这个项目，它将由2.4米(8英尺)高的变色发光标识组成，拼出城市的名字。
Sign Media Canada spoke with SRS project manager Erika Kasper to learn more about the shop’s philosophy and what was involved in bringing this special project to light.
加拿大标识媒体与SRS项目经理埃里克进行了交谈，了解了更多关于他们公司的理念，以及如何将这个特殊的项目公布出来。
Sign Media Canada (SMC): What type of signage does your shop primarily make? What type of work have you been handling recently?
加拿大标识媒体(SMC):您的商店主要生产什么类型的标识?你最近在做哪些项目?
Erika Kasper (EK): SRS makes everything from parking to pylon signs. There is no job too big or too small for us to transform into reality.
Erika Kasper (EK): SRS制造从停车库标识到电塔标识。对于我们来说，我们不分什么项目大小，只要能转化为合作，有利可图，我们都接。
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As ‘parking sign season’ winds down, the team has been preparing to battle the early winter by finishing up our outdoor vinyl requests—everything from wrapping signal boxes to perforated graphics. No matter the time of year, we always have a range of projects on the go.
随着“停车库标识项目”的结束，团队已经准备好了新项目的准备，完成我们承接的其它户外标识项目——从简单的标识灯箱到大型发光标识。无论何时，我们总是有一系列的项目在进行中。
SRS handles 100 per cent of the signmaking process in-house. We have three full-time graphic designers on staff who render all production files from printing to computer numerical control (CNC) cut files and installation patterns. Our vinyl team lays all graphics on-site and we cut all substrates with a CNC or shear—a machine the staff playfully dubbed ‘Ed Shearin.’ We also have an automotive paint booth, so we’re able to industrially paint elements in-house as well.
SRS在内部处理100%的标识制作过程。我们有三名全职的平面设计师，他们负责渲染所有的制作文件，从印刷到电脑数控(CNC)切割文件和安装模式。我们的乙烯基团队把所有的图形都放在现场，我们用CNC或剪切机切割所有的基板，工作人员戏称这种机器为“Ed Shearin”。“我们也有一个汽车喷漆间，所以我们也可以在室内进行工业喷漆。”
SMC: What does your planning and design process involve?
SMC:你们的规划和设计过程包括什么?
EK: When it comes to project development, communication is key. As such, project managers and our director of operations work closely with the design team to ensure customer requests are fulfilled in a realistic way.
EK:在项目开发中，沟通是关键。因此，项目经理和我们的运营总监与设计团队密切合作，得以确保以现实的方式满足客户的要求。
When it comes to customer service, we don’t cut any corners: we make the time to brainstorm with our clients to determine how we can bring their idea into the realm of possibility for production. We provide them with samples and construct prototypes when needed to ensure the project’s vision is fulfilled.
在客户服务方面，我们从不偷工减料:我们花时间与客户进行头脑风暴，以确定如何将他们的想法转化为生产的可能性。我们为他们提供样本，并在需要时构建原型，确保项目的愿景得以实现。
In a smaller city like Winnipeg, satisfying customers and establishing a good reputation is vital. We’ve remained successful in this industry by being good to our customers and we rely on their satisfaction. Truly caring about each project and the customer is what has kept us going.
在温尼伯这样的小城市，让顾客满意并建立良好的声誉是至关重要的。我们在这个行业一直很成功，因为我们对客户很好，我们依赖于他们的满意度。真正关心每一个项目和客户是我们前进的动力。
SMC: Your team recently received a BOCSI for its Winnipeg channel letter sign installation. How long did the project take to complete? How many workers were involved?
SMC: 你们的团队最近因为安装了温尼伯发光标识而收到了BOCSI。这个项目花了多长时间完成?涉及多少工人?
EK: The purchase order from the Host Society was received May 11, 2017, with a hard deadline for completion of July 27—one day before the Canada Summer Games held its opening ceremony. We had exactly 11 weeks to turn a concept into a reality.
EK: 2017年5月11日收到主办方的采购订单，截止日期为7月27日，加拿大夏季奥运会开幕前一天。我们用整整11周的时间把一个概念变成了现实。
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The project was a huge undertaking for the shop. It required a concentrated team effort, which was reliant on the experience and craftsmanship of dedicated employees. The entire staff came together, working extra-long hours and going above and beyond. It was such an exciting project that pretty soon everyone was involved in it. Office and production teams came together to help move the massive letters around the shop—we even had to hire additional staff members to help out. It was incredible to watch raw material transform into such an iconic symbol for our city in such a short period of time.
这项工程对这家商店来说是一项艰巨的任务。它需要专业团队的努力，依赖于敬业员工的经验和技能。以及全体员工齐心协力，加班加点地工作，超越身体极限。这是一个如此令人兴奋的项目，很快每个人都参与了其中。办公室和制作团队在周围商店一起帮助搬运这些巨大的字母——我们甚至不得不雇佣额外的工作人员来帮忙。在这么短的时间内，看着原材料转变成我们城市的标志性符号，对于我们来说真是令人难以置信。
SMC: What kinds of tools and equipment were used to create this project?
SMC: 什么样的工具和设备被用来创建这个项目?
EK: Our trusty shear, ‘Ed Shearin,’ was purchased specifically to execute this project, as it allowed us to cut the large sheets needed to produce the massive letters. To expedite the process, we also purchased an additional aluminum welder.
EK:我们值得信赖的剪切机“Ed Shearin”是专门为执行这个项目而购买的，因为它可以让我们切割出大量的字母。为了加快这个过程，我们还购买了一个额外的铝焊机。
The colour of the channel letters can be changed depending on the type of event taking place or to co-ordinate with the season.
发光标识的颜色可以根据项目的不同、类型或配合季节而作出改变。
SMC: How many light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were used? Were there any considerations that had to be taken into account in regards to lighting aspects?
SMC:使用了多少个LED光源？在光源方面有什么需要考虑的吗?
EK: In total, there were 1435 individual mods incorporated into the sign. The ‘W’ alone required 281—more than any of the other channel letters.
EK:总共有1435个独立的模型被整合到标识中。仅“W”一词就需要281个字母，比其他任何一个字母都要多
。
In regards to planning the lighting, there was a lot to consider. As the installation was colour-changing, one of the project requirements was wireless LED control. This capability allowed the sign to be illuminated at a moment’s notice and let users change the sign’s colour depending on the event or season.
关于灯光的规划，有很多需要考虑。由于装置是变色的，项目要求之一是用无线LED控制。这种功能允许标识在接到通知后立即亮起，并允许用户根据事件或季节更改标识的颜色。
SMC: Did you encounter any specific challenges during the project’s planning, design, or construction?
SMC: 在项目的规划、设计或施工过程中，您遇到过什么特殊的挑战?
EK: All of our shop drawings were certified by an engineer to ensure the structure would be solid and able to safely withstand visitors playing on and around the sign. We had to be sure it would stand the test of time and survive the crazy Winnipeg weather.
EK:我们所有的施工图都经过了工程师的认证，以确保结构坚固，能够安全承受游客在标识上和周围玩耍。我们必须确保它能经受住时间的考验，经受住疯狂的温尼伯天气。
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The biggest challenge, however, was having all eight of the enormous letters in the shop at the same time. Moving each one around the shop through various stages of production took a lot of effort. It was like a serious game of Tetris!
然而，最大的挑战是同时在公司里生产和摆放这八块巨大的发光标识。在生产的各个阶段，移动每一台机器都需要花费大量的精力。这就像一场严肃的俄罗斯方块游戏!
SMC: What does the future hold for SRS?
SMC:SRS的未来会怎样?
EK: As we gear up to celebrate the shop’s 20th anniversary, the future is as bright as ever. The staff is excited to be part of such interesting projects and SRS plans to maintain consistent growth and retain its employees by providing a safe and happy workplace.
EK:在我们准备庆祝这家公司成立20周年之际，未来和过去一样光明。SRS计划通过提供一个安全、快乐的工作场所来保持持续的增长并留住员工。
Once drawings were approved by engineers, the manufacturing team got to work building the Winnipeg sign’s steel structure.
一旦图纸被工程师批准，生产团队开始建造温尼伯标识的钢结构。
