After two and a half years without tradeshows, the sign & graphics industry came back with a bang at the ISA International Sign Expo in Atlanta last month. With a decent number of exhibitors and a fantastic turnout of attendees, it was a great way to resume these in-person industry events. This month we took a second look at a few of our trade partners who were present at ISA showing off their impressive printing & cutting equipment while using products like SINTRA and FOME-COR. We spoke with several fabrication specialists on best practices for working with their machinery while highlighting how 3AC substrates lend themselves to those fabrication capabilities.

This month 3A Composites discusses the effects of rising costs on your bottom line. We examine how inflation is impacting the supply chain behind the manufacturing of plastic and paper, as well as your bottom line, both professionally and personally. Our guest speaker this month is Sim Sheikh. Sim has over thirty years of experience as an executive in the Financial Services Industry. He is currently the Owner and President of Sheikh Investments and was previously a Vice-President with UBS Paine-Webber.

Join us this month as we partner with Zund America Inc. to take a closer look at drag knife cutting and routing techniques when working with SINTRA and FOME-COR material. When working with various substrates and cutting methods, it's important to make sure your equipment is dialed in to the correct settings in order to achieve the cleanest cut. Doug Twitchell and Alan Plunkett discuss best practices and other recommendations with application specialists Keith Soya and Sara Marshall using Zund Swiss Cutting Systems.

As a company that manufactures performance plastic products, 3A Composites USA recognizes the impact its operations have on the environment and acknowledges its responsibility to ethically use natural resources in a sustainable manner. To further our sustainability measures, we have recently developed an internal Sustainability Committee that has been tasked with assessing current processes and identifying opportunities to mitigate 3AC's environmental impact. This past September, the team visited our Kentucky and North Carolina manufacturing facilities to view the ongoing reduction efforts that target product material waste, water usage, and energy consumption.

Watch an in-depth panel discussion focusing on the current trends and challenges that are shaping the industry, such as sustainability, supply chain disruptions, labor and pricing changes, industry consolidation and more.

In August 3AC exhibited at retailX in Chicago, marking our second trade show of 2021. Being back at an in-person event and able to spend meaningful face-time with customers was very heartening, but unfortunately show attendance was below prior year's due to ongoing travel restrictions and health concerns. Headed into the event prepared for lower attendance than normal, we decided to document the week’s highlights in order to bring a small part of the show back to those of you unable to attend.

Many consumers are ready to get back to normal, planning to return to malls and stores for their shopping endeavors. But as we head into the 2021 holiday season for retail, we are still dealing with the impacts of the Corona Virus and threats of other variants. While the availability of a vaccine may allow for a return to some sense of normalcy, expect to see several major changes in the way businesses approach the holidays this year. In this month’s webinar, we discuss new trends and where to focus your business efforts with guest speaker Steve Turner, Director, GPD group, and review what kind of signage and materials will be instrumental in providing the best in-person customer experience possible.

After more than a year with no in-person events or tradeshows, we are now seeing a gradual re-opening of public venues and convention centers allowing for the opportunity to host major industry gatherings and events once more. In this month's webinar, we examined how the event industry transitioned during the Covid Pandemic and what changes we can expect for events and venues in the 'New Normal'. Special guest speaker Tim Bennett, Chairman & Chief Client Advocate at Image Options, joined us to discuss how these changes will affect the nature and need for signage and how 3A materials can provide high-quality, cost-effective solutions.

This month we partnered with our good friends and experts at My Press Needs to explore the ins and outs of the die cutting process. We discussed the various techniques and best practices of die cutting different 3A Composites substrates in order to achieve the desired performance with the highest quality results. This webinar features video highlights of cutting practices as well as a Q&A session with My Press Needs founder Rob Weidhaas.

It's no secret that most industries are seeing widespread increase in costs, from raw materials to fuel & transportation to labor, there is significant impact across the supply chain. Compounded by ongoing supply shortages caused by the pandemic the final result has been an overall rise in the cost of goods sold. While it's difficult to avoid passing increased costs along to customers, there are ways in which companies are navigating this challenging time by emphasizing innovation, efficiency, and delivering quality products. In this webinar, we discuss various ways that 3A Composites can help alleviate some of these challenges.

Listen as we discuss with our partner printers the results of direct digital printing on the DIBOND Mirror specialty finish. We share their experience and knowledge gained, as well as some best practices for achieving great print results.

Last June we discussed the various phases of retail in response to COVID-19, and as the new year begins it seems that we are starting the transition from “Re-emergence & Discovery” to “A Brave New World” as businesses continue to evolve in order to remain open while still protecting customers and employees. This is exemplified through the emergence of ‘Dark Stores’ – traditional retail stores that have been converted to local fulfillment centers for delivery and pick-up orders only. Join us as we discuss how the nature of retail shopping has changed globally, what we can expect and how it affects our industries, and how we can provide signage and display solutions that will enable companies to effectively operate in this new normal.

Michael Lawrence, Learning & Development Manager, and Doug Twitchell, Director of Distributor Relations look at upcoming initiatives, challenges and innovations for 2021. Including an update on retail design from Alan Plunkett, Director, Retail Design and Sustainability.

Michael Lawrence, Learning & Development Manager, looks back at 2020 and explores some of our wins and challenges that came with one of the most unpredictable years in our industry.

With our acquisition of Elmer’s and EnCore foam-board division from Newell Brands, we're excited to offer the widest portfolio of high quality, innovative, rigid substrates to best meet the needs of the display, graphic-arts, and framing industries. The newly integrated FOME-COR Collection includes EnCore brands as well as overall process improvements, discussed here by Director of Distributor Relations, Doug Twitchell.

This webinar examines how the pandemic and changes in shopper behavior are forcing Brands to alter their Holiday campaigns. Alan Plunkett, Director, Retail Design and Sustainability, also discusses recommendations and trends in material choices.

"All About DIBOND® Mirror" discusses material properties, application uses, tips on fabrication and all you need to know, about 3A Composites new DIBOND Mirror and DIBOND Mirror Anthracite.

Chris Markel, NW District Sales Manager, and Simon Philpott, Head of Sales for the UK & Ireland at 3A Composites discuss DISPA, the new 100% recyclable paper board from 3A Composites.

We discuss how to effectively disinfect 3A Composites products while maintaining surface quality and appearance, as well as current trends in material choices for environments in consumer markets. Special guest Steve Turner, Director at GPD Group joins Alan Plunkett, Director, Retail Design and Sustainability at 3A Composites USA for this lively discussion.

View our June Live Learning Experience with special guest Michael Hoffay. Michael has extensive experience working with brands, retailers, design firms, and printers helping them to enhance in-store and retail environment spaces. 3A Composites welcomes him to the discussion with Alan Plunkett, Director of Retail Design and Sustainability, who will be discussing the 3 phases of retail in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alan Plunkett, Director, Retail Design and Sustainability, and Chris Markel, Northwest District Sales Manager discussed manufacturing practices, sustainable versus green products, sustainable design in retail, and our new 100% recyclable paper composite board, DISPA®.

Emily Burkhart, Process Engineer for the SINTRA® Collection is interviewed by Learning and Development Manager, Mike Lawrence. Emily explains ger role as Process Engineer, the history of black SINTRA® and how process improvements benefit our end users.

Chuck Kunze, Director, Product Management and Marketing, presents "All About SINTRA ECLIPSE", an informative webinar and Q&A Session. The informational webinar will provide an overview of the recently broadened SINTRA PVC Collection which includes SINTRA, SINTRA ECLIPSE, SINTRA VERS (formerly e-pvc™) and new SINTRA CONSTRUCT, as well as a detailed look at the unique characteristics, properties and applications of SINTRA ECLIPSE.