More than 150 sign industry professionals came to Cape Girardeau over the weekend for the Mid South Sign Association's Great Ideas Conference.

The event, which drew people from eight states, was sponsored by local sign-related businesses Canedy Sign & Graphics, McGill Marketing Group and Spartech Corporation.

"It's all about being able to have sign companies share ideas and see what's working for other sign companies," said Dave Boyer, marketing director for Canedy Sign & Graphics.

The Mid South Sign Association represents sign professionals in Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. This was the first time the group held an event outside this five-state region.

Ellis Bradshaw, general manager of Canedy Sign & Graphics, serves as the additional states director for the organization and worked to bring the group to Cape Girardeau.

The conference included meetings at the Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau during the day Friday and tours of Spartech's production facility near Arena Park and McGill's facility on Wintergreen Drive on Friday evening.

Spartech provides plastic materials for the sign industry, a segment of its business that is growing, said Gary Simmers, director of operations at Spartech.

About half of the production at the company's Cape Girardeau plant is from the sign industry, he said.

Spartech manufactures thick gauge polycarbonate and impact-modified acrylic in reel and sheet forms.

This conference provided opportunities for the company to build relationships and help its customers learn more about the materials Spartech produces, said Janet Jaco, who is responsible for customer service at Spartech.

"A lot of times, we don't see the very end user because we have a distributor who will sell to these guys," Jaco said.

At McGill Marketing, participants learned about how the aluminum framework for signs is produced. McGill is a wholesaler of straight length aluminum sign extrusions.

The conference ended Saturday after round table discussions and several educational seminars at Canedy Sign & Graphic's Nash Road facility.

Topics covered in the seminars were welding and workplace safety, Boyer said.

Brandon Bradshaw, who serves as a welding instructor at the Cape Career and Technology Center, and Everett Hinze, a welding inspector, presented the welding seminar.

The safety seminar, given by Ron Putz who organizes Canedy's safety program, provided an update on OSHA regulations.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

2500 Spartech Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO

4857 Nash Road, Cape Girardeau, MO

2811 Wintergreen Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO