How Did Sunburst LED Signs™ Get Started?
We wanted to supply Digital LED Signs to our customers. We were already selling incandescent signs and other LED Signs, and realized the potential value to our customers of the LED revolution.
Like every other sign company we started by importing Chinese manufactured signs. The price was attractive and we thought the quality would be consistent.
It was a disaster!
We continued to maintain our signs for many years after the warranty had expired, for free, rather than force our customer to pay for our mistake!
We next sold some US manufactured signs. Again, there were problems. They were better signs, but the good manufacturing companies were all owned by stockholders or hedge-funds, and their interest was obviously in profits not long-term quality. Long-term parts supplies were, and are, a problem. Production designs continue to be based on what's efficient to mass-produce, not what's in our customer's best interests. They don't use the best, brightest, longest-lasting LEDs ... they use the cheapest ones they can buy.
We wanted better signage for our customers, so we built it.
Stepping back a few years, there was an Electrical Engineer in Oklahoma that wanted into the sign industry. Unfortunately he didn't know anything about signs. He called around and finally got in touch with the Signs Manufacturing. As this new sign company was not in the same market as Signs Manufacturing, we were happy to help him learn the ins and outs of the industry, even inviting him down to our plant to see how we build the signs efficiently while maintaining top quality. He went back to Oklahoma and created a successful sign company.
Fast forward a few years and Signs Manufacturing needed some help to get out of this "sinkhole" of bad LED Sign suppliers! Our friend in Oklahoma, being an Electrician Engineer, was happy to help. Together we worked on the best products to use, the design of the sign frames, the cabinets, the best materials to dissipate heat, how to keep humidity and moisture out of the signs, etc.
It was an immediate success!
Today our signs are dramatically different than those we built in the early years. Sunburst LED Signs are built to last, with a lot of new ideas in the LED industry that none of our competitors use ... or even understand. But the end product speaks for itself.
History of Helping Our Customers Succeed
Sunburst Displays™, a Watson Family owned and managed entity, has been building quality signs and shipping them worldwide since 1979.
Sunburst Displays™, as used in this website, refers equally or individually to Sunburst LED Signs™, LP, Signs Manufacturing Corporation, or Signs Manufacturing and Maintenance Corporation, all Watson family entities. In addition to digital LED signs we manufacture channel letters, wall cabinet signs, monument signs, pole signs, electronic message centers, pylon signs, neon, cold-cathode lighting, awnings, and other signs.
The three male Family members are licensed electricians (two are Masters), each with over 30 years experience in every phase of the business. One member holds both Master Sign Electrician and Master Electrician licenses.
Every adult member of the Family has a University business degree (1-SMU, 2-UT, 2-CSU.) Our educations and experiences cause us to look at the sign business differently.
The principal owner of Sunburst Displays™ formed several successful businesses for large and small corporations, and was heavily involved in the marketing and advertising necessary to make a business successful, prior to starting Sunburst Displays™ with the Family.
He saw an opportunity to build a sign company serving local and regional businesses that understood marketing issues, a huge void even today, to help customers become successful.
We understand what it takes to make a business successful, so we develop "looks" and processes that benefit our customers by giving them continuously better, more productive signs at continuously lower prices.
Sunburst LED Signs™, Trembler™ Signs, PinLights™ LetterLites™ and SpectraLites™ Channel Letters, Energy Star Signs™ and solar powered signs are current examples.
Underwriters Laboratories has evaluated our sister products PinLights™ and LetterLites™ and they have been approved for use in outdoor, damp and wet location signs. UL Approval #E345252. They are the only approved individual LED first-surface lighting products. As the manufacturer we are very proud of this.
Sunburst Displays™ has always been a leader in the development of new technologies for the sign industry.
We installed our first message center (an incandescent time & temperature) in 1987; we manufactured and installed our first electronic digital LED sign in 1990.
"We will definitely recommend you and Sunburst Displays™ to anyone looking for a quality product and great service."
Crystal, Art Smart Art School (in a letter to her Sign Consultant)
Our family's manufacturing, electrical, electronic, computer programming, and IT backgrounds often prove invaluable to our customers, particularly those with or desiring Electronic-Message-Centers. We can write/modify computer programs in many languages.
Our Signs Manufacturing™ experiences selling and servicing many brands of LED signs led to our realization that we could build a better LED sign for Texas, and the creation of Sunburst LED Signs? .
Our suppliers tell us that we are the largest custom sign company in North Texas.
We have an extremely loyal workforce. All of our key artisans have been with us for at least 10 years; some 40+ Years!
Signs we have created has been featured in several national magazines, as well as newspapers, movies and commercials.
We are also proud that we have repeatedly been chosen to conduct training seminars for Cities Sign Inspectors.
Several generations of the Watson family are directly involved in the everyday management of the Company. Our "Senior" Watson has over 45 years experience in sign and electrical design and manufacturing management.
We are virtually the only sign company in any of the 97 "Metroplex" cities multi-licensed to manufacture and install signs as well as provide electrical service.
Sunburst Displays™ can be totally responsible for installing, wiring, and maintaining your signs and lighting if you choose.
If there is a problem, our modern, radio-dispatched service vehicles, cranes, and ladder trucks keep signs and lighting working and advertising for you.
Sunburst Displays™ is one of few companies in the Metroplex regularly inspected by Underwriters Laboratories and approved for the manufacturing of UL listed signs - meeting the highest design, structural manufacturing, electrical, and installation standards in the world.
Sunburst Displays and Maintenance Corporation is a Veteran-owned business.
"We bought our sign from a great guy. Unfortunately he died, and now our warranty is worthless because his business closed. No family to continue the tradition. Fix our sign."
Maurice Feldman, Pine Creek Cleaners
The Importance of 40+ Years in the Sign Business
Why is it important to you that Sunburst Displays? has been in business under consistent management for 40+ Years?
Over the many years we made mistakes, and had to correct them. We heard about and observed a lot of mistakes made by others, and learned from them.
Very importantly, because of the Family's educational, technical, and electrical backgrounds, we tested and evaluated thousands of metals, sign components, plastics, and coatings, and selected the best to use in making specific signs that will look better, last longer, and use less energy. This website explains in detail the results of this testing.
We also selected the best, most accurate, construction techniques and equipment. We even helped invent newer, more accurate ones.
Do you want your sign made by someone who learned from 40+ Years of making signs, or from someone who still has to learn?
Products We've Introduced to Use on Signage
"All sign companies do the same thing!"
Our customers say that other sign companies use this line a lot when asked to explain what they do differently to make their signs superior.
Through years of research we have introduced many quality products to use on signage. Most remain unused by other sign companies because they have no idea where to obtain them. Some of these products are:
-
Balanced Array™ LED sign format
-
Vacuum Ceramic Microsphere Coatings
-
Waterproof Whole-sign Interior Coatings to Protect Electronic Components and Wiring
-
Flame Suppression Coating Systems
-
Spray-On Metal Coatings
-
Optical Brighteners for Plastics
-
UV Protective Coatings for Plastics
-
Self-Cleaning Sign-Face Coatings for Plastics
-
Vandal Resistant Coatings
-
Pinlights™
-
Letterlites™
??research from the University of California at Berkeley found that 68% of purchases were unplanned during major shopping trips and 54% on smaller shopping trips. To take advantage?your business will need an effective sign to attract attention.?
The NewYork State Small Business Development Center
Free Professional Sign Market Research Survey
We've installed over 75,000 signs in the Metroplex. We have two university-degreed marketing professionals, and a university-degreed finance professional on staff. We can get you the answers you need to make a decision. We've done it thousands of times.
We know that if you are an informed buyer there is a very good chance you will become a successful, lifelong, customer. Therefore it is important to us that you are extremely successful.
We are here to help you. As part of our new sign service we will:
-
research out how much traffic you receive in front of your business
-
determine how many people will see your sign every day
-
compare the cost per impression you will receive over the life of your sign
-
analyze how effective your logo and sign are at conveying the message you want for your business
-
analyze the impact that your color choices will have on the effectiveness of your sign
-
analyze how efficient your sign delivers your message to traffic in front of your business
-
look at options to achieve a more effective sign without adding cost
-
determine if your money is being spent wisely on your sign
* United States Small Business Administration (SBA) figures.
Full-Service Facility
Please visit our four-building manufacturing campus (Two sets of joined buildings.) (2018 commercial drone photo.)
Our modern 1.2 acre (under roof) production facility, with both high and low dock doors, is located on a 3 acre concrete pad; the additional area being used for parking and "clean" outside storage. One-half acre is planted greenbelt.
If you are seriously considering buying from someone else we suggest that you also visit their location to observe if they can actually do what they say they can; or at least ?Google? their address. A lot of competitors who present themselves as manufacturers actually only buy and resell signs, working out of a house, office building, small warehouse, or storefront!
Free! Factory Tour
Come and see the array of equipment and tools, and the facility dedicated to making good signs.
Contact William Watson to arrange a plant tour.
State Licensed Sign Installation and Sign Service
We are a full-service sign company. We provide sign site surveys, sign permits, sign installation and sign maintenance services for electrical and non-electrical signs for our customers as well as other sign companies. We provide this work in Dallas, Fort Worth (DFW), and ALL of North Texas and Northeast Texas.
State Sign and Electrical License Numbers: TECL17503, TSCL18015, TSCL18016.
Our technicians are also Quality Certified Signs™ certified. (Click the "Installation & Service" tab for details.)
We
serve and have installed signs in the Texas cities of
Addison,
Aledo,
Allen,
Alvarado,
Anna, Argyle,
Arlington,
Athens, Aubrey, Avalon,
Azle,
Balch Springs,
Bedford,
Benbrook,
Blue Mound, Bonham,
Briar, Bridgeport,
Buckingham,
Burleson, Caddo Mills, Canton,
Carrollton,
Cedar Hill, Celina,
Cleburne, Cockrell Hill,
Colleyville,
The Colony, Combine,
Coppell,
Corsicana,
Crandall,
Crowley,
Dallas, Dalworthington
Gardens, Decatur,
Denison,
Denton,
Desoto, D/FW Airport, Dido,
Duncanville, Eagle Mountain Lake,
Edgecliff,
Ennis,
Euless,
Everman,
Farmers Branch, Farmersville,
Ferris,
Flower Mound, Forest Hill,
Forney,
Fort Worth,
Frisco,
Gainesville,
Garland,
Glenn Heights,
Granbury,
Grand Prairie,
Grapevine,
Greenville, Gun Barrel
City,
Haltom City,
Haslet,
Highland Park,
Hillsboro, Hudson Oaks,
Hurst,
Hutchins,
Irving, Italy, Itasca,
Jacksboro,
Joshua,
Justin,
Kaufman, Keene,
Keller,
Kennedale, Kleberg, Krum,
Lake Dallas,
Lake Worth,
Lakeside,
Lancaster,
Las Colinas, Lawson,
Lewisville,
Little Elm, Longview,
Mansfield, Marshall,
Maypearl,
McKinney, Melissa,
Mesquite,
Midlothian, Milford,
Mineral Wells, Mount
Pleasant, Mount Vernon,
Murphy,
Nevada, Newark,
North Richland Hills,
Ovilla, Palmer,
Pantego, Paris,
Parker County, Pelican
Bay, Pittsburg,
Plano, Ponder, Princeton,
Prosper,
Quinlan, Quitman,
Red Oak, Rendon,
Richardson,
Richland Hills, Rice,
River Oaks,
Roanoke,
Rockwall,
Rowlett,
Royse City,
Sachse,
Saginaw,
Sansom Park, Sanger,
Seagoville,
Sherman, Silver Creek,
Southlake, Springtown,
Stephenville, Sulphur Springs,
Sunnyvale,
Terrell, Texarkana,
Trophy Club, Tyler,
University Park, Van
Alstyne, Valley View,
Watauga,
Waxahachie,
Weatherford, Wedgewood,
Westlake, Weston,
Westover Hills, Wheatland,
White Settlement, Whitney, Wichita Falls,
Willow Park,
Wills Point,
Wilmer, and
Wylie.
ZIP Codes 75001 thru 76958.
Area Codes 214, 254, 430, 469, 682, 817, 903, 940, and 972.
Serving Collin, Cook, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Franklin, Grayson, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Lamar, Navarro, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, Titus, Van Zandt, Wood, and Wise Counties in Texas.
We also have signs in 43 different states, and 6 other nations.
Additionally
We
are the "greenest" sign company in Texas. Click the "Our
Environment" tab on our "About
Us" page to learn about our environmental efforts.
Changeable Message Signs - A Brief History
When LED lighting first replaced incandescent lighting in changeable message signs their color was monotone, and their array was balanced.
When
color LEDs were introduced existing computers could not coordinate the
virtually unlimited display options a balanced array offered. This
resulted in a very ?grainy? product. The 3 led colors (RGB) were
therefore grouped into ?pixel clusters? so that these classic computers
could control the display, providing better results.
We?ve come a long way; computers and processors are thousands of times faster than early models.
The technical ability to place larger individual LEDs closer together without electrical co-interference has greatly improved also. At the same time, the ability to place 3 small LEDs in a single lens evolves.
Sunburst LED Signs™ utilizes modern computing power to control the virtually limitless potential of our large LED Video Displays and Digital Electronic Message Center Signs.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Guaranteed Highest Quality . . . Guaranteed Lowest Price™ |
FOR ORDERING OR ASSISTANCE CALL:
Sales Team: Sales@SunburstLEDSigns.com
Based on 150+ Google® reviews.
Business hours are 07.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Monday thru Friday (Central Time)
or by Appointment
Emergency Service Available 24/7
Office hours are 08.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Monday thru Friday
Showroom hours are by Appointment
Factory Tours by Appointment
TV Studio Tours by Appointment
Copyright © 1979-2025 Signs Manufacturing Corporation™ - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED