Take the six-foot-tall pint glass with welded moose antlers sitting on top of the Thirsty Moose Taphouse in Exeter, NH. Whether you stop in immediately out of curiosity or drive by thinking, “what was that?”, the image stays with you.
And that’s exactly what a great sign should do.
Custom metal signs can transform a business into a destination, add personality to a property, and create the kind of visual impact that vinyl banners and plastic signs can’t match.
At Macy Industries, we design, fabricate, and install custom metal signs for all kinds of projects. Whether it’s for a business, educational institution, or private property, we’ll work with you to create something that gets noticed.
Recent Metal Sign Projects
From massive civic landmarks to creative lobby installations, we build custom metal signs that go beyond typical signage. Our fabrication capabilities mean we can take on complex projects that other shops won’t touch.
Recent projects include:
- Gaslight District Arch: 20-foot architectural span marking Manchester, New Hampshire’s historic neighborhood entrance
- Seaboard International: Industrial-themed wall art featuring a decorative saw blade design, plus custom conference tables with integrated company branding
- GE Aerospace: Creative lobby installation using repurposed aircraft parts arranged to spell out their facility name
- Saint Anselm College: Traditional fireplace metalwork incorporating the school’s official crest
- Private Residences: From decorative Medusa sculptures to custom horse farm fencing with integrated logos
Whether it’s a corporate lobby, college campus, or civic landmark, we follow the same process: understand what you want, work through any challenges, and deliver a finished piece that works.
Designing Your Custom Sign
About half of our clients arrive with complete CAD files ready for production. The other half might have a napkin sketch, a rough idea, or just know they want “something cool.” We work with both approaches equally well.
The first step is always understanding where the sign will live and what it needs to do. Will it hang on a brick wall or stand in a field? Does it need to withstand New England winters? Should it develop a patina over time or stay pristine? Based on these answers, we’ll recommend the right material:
- Steel: Strong, paintable, and cost-effective for indoor signs or when weight isn’t a concern
- Aluminum: Lightweight and corrosion-resistant, perfect for outdoor installations or elevated mounting
- Copper: Develops an elegant patina over time, ideal for upscale properties
- Stainless Steel: Modern appearance with exceptional durability
Sometimes clients come in with designs that look great on paper but won’t work in reality. Maybe the pattern is too intricate for plasma cutting, or pieces would fall out without proper support. When that happens, we work together to modify the design, preserving as much of their original idea as possible while making sure it’s something we can actually create.
Our Fabrication Process
With an approved design in hand, we convert it into cut files for our CNC plasma table, which is where most of these projects begin.
Our fabrication process typically includes:
- Plasma cutting for the main shapes and designs
- Welding for structural elements or multi-piece assemblies
- Brake forming when we need dimensional or curved elements
- TIG or MIG welding for clean, strong joints
Some projects need finer detail than plasma cutting can achieve. When that happens, we partner with local shops whose capabilities complement our own.
We take a similar approach with finishing. We handle painting and patina work in-house. For powder coating, anodizing, and other specialty finishes, we work with vendors we’ve used for years. The result is a sign that looks great and holds up over time.
Delivery and Installation
A great sign needs proper installation, which is why our team handles both delivery and mounting to ensure your custom metal sign is secure and positioned exactly where you want it.
Every installation is different. The Thirsty Moose’s pint glass needed to be secured to a rooftop, the Gaslight District arch had to span 20 feet over a road, and wall-mounted pieces, such as the Seaboard International saw blade, require different mounting systems than freestanding signs.
Depending on the project, we’ll use stand-offs for a floating effect, hidden fasteners for a clean look, or welded brackets for added strength. For exterior installations, we make sure everything is weatherproofed to handle New England’s toughest conditions.
With years of experience mounting to brick, drywall, metal siding, and just about every other surface, we know how to make sure your sign looks great and stays put.
Why Work With Macy
At Macy Industries, we handle your custom metal sign project from start to finish. From design through fabrication and installation, having everything under one roof means no miscommunication between vendors and one point of contact throughout your project.
Whether you’re creating a landmark like the Gaslight arch, adding personality to your business like the Thirsty Moose, or designing something completely unique, we manage every step. Our custom metal fabrication team will work with you to solve design challenges, choose the right materials, and build something that lasts.
Ready to create a metal sign that gets noticed? Contact us to discuss your project.