PUBLICATION CENTER

Essyx Exhibits & Displays crafts corporate environments, trade-show displays, showroom exhibits, and much more, while exploring new avenues and applications for imaging.

About 20 years ago, Essyx Exhibits & Displays, based in Johnson City, Tenn., began life as a frame shop.

How it evolved from building custom frames to complex display superstructures testifies to its solid foundation in the mechanical arts, plus the ability to match technology appropriately with customer needs.

Since its divergence from the frame business, Essyx split into two companies – one that still does custom framing and screen printing, and one that builds custom displays, Essyx Exhibits & Displays.

Building Designs

Housed in a 60,000 square foot facility, Essyx Exhibits & Display has a full metal shop and carpentry shop with all the accoutrements, an HP 5000, an HP 5500, and a 54-in. cold laminator.

Basically, Essyx does everything in the design-build process except injection-molding. "We can literally build anything and everything here and set up an entire tradeshow exhibit, no matter how large it is, so that we can walk our clients through a pre-show setup. We can also store the exhibits, so we realize additional income from storage," says David Watson, art director for Essyx Exhibits & Displays.

Additionally, Essyx has mastered the art of 3D computer modeling so that it can render almost perfect virtual models of what a client's space will look like after Essyx fills in the blanks, whether it's a trade-show exhibit or a corporate lobby.

In fact, the 3D renderings can be easily mistaken for photos of the finished display. You have to look closely at the people placed in the rendering for scale to realize that you may have just been fooled. But that's not the point of the 3D models. Rather, this additional service not only gives clients an in-depth feel for their new environment, it simply sells the job.

Those clients range from large multi-national corporations and high-end resort developers to ad agencies and even the occasional drop-in customer off the street, though that's fairly unusual. However, Essyx can serve them all, and does so with detail and finesse.

The project that helped pave the way to bigger and bolder design-build assignments involved a life-size fiberglass rhino that was shipped worldwide to various events. It was the company's biggest challenge to date and, thanks to the success of the project, established Essyx as a go-to display builder.

Specialty Message

Coupled to its growth on the fabrication side, Essyx began to pay close attention to its wide-format printing, since so much of its work involved full-color graphics. They subcontracted very little of their work out, and they aimed to keep it that way.

Watson says they started with an HP 3500, then procured an HP 5000, but needed more horsepower. So, in order to upgrade to an HP 5500 they took advantage of LexJet's Capital Equipment Earnback Program (CEEP), which allows companies to buy or lease printing and finishing technologies and receive credits on their LexJet product purchases.

"We're making a decisive shift into marketing a broader range of graphics. We've found that people in this area don't print a lot of films and backlits, so we're one of the only choices for specialty films here," says Watson. "Our favorite printable material right now is LexJet's 6.5 Mil Opaque Display Film. We've also been using the LexJet Clear with backer, but the Display Film, laminated with 5, 10, or 15 Mil PreLume ExhibitGuard, has really helped set our graphics apart. Plus, our account specialist, Lee, helped us match our Wasatch RIP with the Display Film to ensure color accuracy."

Watson adds that their specialty material menu has grown with the addition of fine-art papers, such as LexJet's Sunset line and Water-Resistant Satin Cloth, Hahnemuhle's fine art papers, and 3P's inkjet textiles.

"If an art director or client is looking for something with an artistic feel, we find the specialty materials work better and give a different feel for that request. People want something different, so we've been experimenting quite a bit," says Watson. "We're currently proposing a display for a large corporation's headquarters, and we're taking all of our specialty media and coming up with unique ways of mounting them. Some have stretched frames, for instance, while others are mounted with standoff and acrylic techniques. They want something that stands out; something you won't find in someone else's office."

Since Essyx is exploring new material avenues to benefit and differentiate their clients' environments, Watson says the resulting media portfolio can "be a little overwhelming" for the client. Therefore, Essyx has built a sample book filled with all the media and finishes offered by Essyx. Perhaps the most important part of this sample-book exercise, adds Watson, is to get them to feel the finishes. It's one thing to look at graphics in a rendering, even one as detailed as Essyx's 3D software models, but quite another to touch the textured surface of LexJet Clear polycarbonate.

Watson says the next steps for the company's graphics department include purchasing a more versatile hot laminator and building out a new showroom/graphics production area at one of the street-side entrances to Essyx. A bread company used to rent out that corner of the building from Essyx, but has since left, so the graphics and client consulting area will shift to this spot.

It appears to be a fortuitous shift, as Essyx is certain to see growing business from the interior decor market, which is beginning to realize the benefits of utilizing inkjet printing for custom interiors.  Having more of a storefront feel should be more conducive to client visits, particularly from the decor market.

"Flexibility is most important for us, and that is, being able to be flexible with your clients and vendors. On a job that comes from an ad agency, for example, you deal with the client, the agency, the architect, interior designers, your vendors, and so forth. For every large job we do, there are a lot of people involved," says Watson. "So, we have to be extremely adaptable to the needs of our clients, which typically involves researching and finding new methods and materials. We're not afraid to test and fail, if need be, to find the best solution. That's a big reason why our clients come back."