BIG CANOE RESORT COMMUNITY

While Big Canoe started off on a good foot with their sign package as Tom Cousins the original developer backed away from regular input and the P.O.A. took more responsibility the sign program went through quite a few changes. From hiring cheaper sign vendors to a long period of allowing their maintenance staff to make the signs when they were not busy cutting grass, fixing water leaks or other responsibilities. To the Big Canoe P.O.A. manager at the time cutting his sign budget to the bone seemed to make sense even if he did not recognize his sign program and brand consistency was falling apart. Its obvious why finding a good company to maintain your image is important.

SIGNS WE INSTALLED IN THE 1970's

MORE STREET SIGNS FROM THE 1970's

The above street sign photos are just part of what we took as did a survey of Big Canoe when in the planning, design and bid phase of trying to win the job. Of these signs we made in the 1970's all hand routed by my dad and as he finished a set handed off to me for assembly of the structure for installation. As a middle school into high school age kid helping my dad I did not understand why he paid the extra to use western cedar for not only the sign panels but the poles as well. What really annoyed me especially on the few discovered had assembled with a panel oriented the wrong direction was him insisting on using galvanized spiral nails with small heads. Trying to get a hold on head of the nail then pull it out with its spirals twisting it into the wood was pure misery but nearly forty years later the nails had not rusted away or backed out showing heads standing proud.

There were over fifty of these signs we made from 1972 into the early 1980's (we kept this original contract for almost a decade to the day) till the P.O.A. hired a maintenance worker with "experience" working in the sign trade. I suggested they let us refurbish and reinstall original street blades as their historical hand crafted value could never be replaced and had much life left with a proper restoration. We were sure a proper refurbishing combined with regular maintenance the signs would last another thirty years or more. If they had lasted almost forty years without any maintenance or fresh stain they could have easily seen an attractive sixty plus year lifespan in the field. The P.O.A. saw no value in hand crafted historic signs so we did as they wanted and bid replacing them.

SIGNS MADE "IN-HOUSE" BY MAINTENANCE STAFF

The above signs were made "in-house" by the Big Canoe P.O.A. maintenance staff using a myriad of materials but most common material we found was not even outdoor rated but was cheap. There was one sign (center of bottom row) where they used outdoor materials, a slightly better layout and had this effort been put into the others their in=house sign program while still amateur may have been acceptable for a mountain campground or mobile home community but none were up to par to represent the brand of an upper tier resort.

A HODGEPODGE OF ODD SIGNS

The two signs above on left and right were installed by developers who built houses inside newly opened areas of Big Canoe. One was sandblasted on cedar, other on high density urethane foam and we did repaint both following phase two to better match the surrounding signs as the residents were making a fuss to push them up on the priority list. The center sign is one of the new style posts with our 1970's vintage street signs installed which is another option we suggested to save them money and preserve as much of the original sign package as possible while still adding a bit of a new touch.

HOW WE LOST PHASES THREE & FOUR

We initially bid replacing the majority of all signs in the Big Canoe development and won the bid which was to be done in four phases. First the P.O.A. did not keep the kind of ready cash to do such a large project in one shot and it would have been hard for any vendor to do the entire development at one time while keeping their regular customers serviced. The Big Canoe P.O.A. made the decision to break the job (not all signs include but concentrating on the most used areas) then after phase four we were going to evaluate what other signs needed replacement or repair. We signed a contract with the P.O.A. manager to start each phase upon receipt of deposits on set dates and complete each phase by a set date.

Phase one our deposit arrived on contract agreed date, signs were manufactured and installed ahead of schedule with all residents, P.O.A. directors and salaried staff totally satisfied. Phase two went just as smoothly with deposit arriving a few days before contract date and all signs on site before contract completion date. The date for phase three deposit came and no funds were sent and P.O.A. director was not returning emails or phone calls. I finally talked with the directors executive assistant who said they were having a cash flow issue and our deposit would be delayed a week or two. Two weeks passed, no deposit so we went and "dropped in" on the P.O.A. offices to discover the director we had negotiated the bid with had left and been replaced with a new person.

Since he was caught in his office was forced to discuss the issue with us. At that time he dropped the bomb he had put phase three and phase four back out for bids and two companies had underbid our contract price. I mentioned our signed contract, asked if put out to be bid again why we were not notified and what was status on our phase three deposit check. New administrator said he decided to use one of the companies that underbid us which I am reasonably sure he had a relationship with and since our contract was signed by previous manager if wanted to contest it we were welcome to litigate and he would go ahead and inform his legal team to get to work. We learned years ago litigation and lawyers were a losing proposition even if won in court gives future clients a worry they are dealing with a vendor that will bring lawsuits so we let phase three and four go but what we have seen of that work its was almost as bad as their in-house work done by maintenance staff.

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