This is the start of the popular song first made famous by the ‘Five Man Electrical Band’, an obscure Canadian group from the early 70’s, commenting about the proliferation of signs dotting the landscape, but more than ever, we rely on signs to inform the public about who we are. In Mansfield/Richland County we are fortunate to have the Tridico Sign Company, with little stretch of the imagination we might call them the ‘first family of signs’.
Starting out in Galion as Anthony Lee Screen Printing many years ago, they printed a stack of ‘Sale signs’ and then drove around to business offering the signs to the various retailers. Later on a family trip to California, Mick observed a unique style of sign. An inquiry to the owner resulted in a method of using steel cutouts of letters to mask a wood blank to create a letter forward sandblasted sign. Armed with this knowledge, the result was the first sandblasted sign created east of the Mississippi. Materials have changed but the concept remains.
After a name and location change to downtown Mansfield in 1975, the Tridico Sign Company continues to move forward. The company was purchased by Todd Tridico from his dad in later years. If you have the opportunity to speak with Todd and his wife Judy, the first thing that stands out is, in a word, ‘passion’. A visit to their showroom is like a visit to an art gallery. Award winning logo designs, nostalgic neon, screen printing, vehicle graphics, window lettering, trade show displays, and more are some of their offerings.
If you have driven just about anywhere in town, you have seen their work: Gorman Rupp, Area Agency on Aging, and the Renaissance Theater to name a few. Large or small, consider Tridico Sign Company as a good choice. They may be contacted in person at 162 N. Diamond Street or by phone atv419-526-1695. Your sign should be as unique as you are!
