Ulrich’s Early History
The history of Ulrich Sign Company is a long and storied one. We have been a part of the Buffalo, NY community since the 1940s. Our sign company began as a tiny operation in a small building on Market Street in Lockport, NY, where simple signs were made for local businesses. Today, Ulrich Sign Company handles production from a large warehouse in Lockport and serves clients of all sizes all over the state of New York, in addition to Buffalo, Lockport, and Niagara Falls, NY.
Prior to the establishment of Ulrich Sign Company in 1939, company founder Robert Ulrich was already making signs for people he knew, right here in Lockport, NY. In 1945, following World War II, Robert left his position working for Harrison Radiator Corporation to pursue Ulrich Signs on a full-time basis. He rented a small commercial space on historic Market Street to craft his signs. The space was so narrow that larger signs would have to be walked out of the building in order to be turned around to work on the other side. Robert Ulrich started out by himself. However, the business quickly grew, and soon he had three employees. At the Market Street shop, they produced hand-lettered and painted signs, vehicle lettering, and electrical signs featuring neon illumination.
Improvements and Milestones
In the years that followed, Ulrich Signs continued to grow, and in 1952, Robert purchased the land at 250 State Road to build the shop that would be utilized for the decades to come. In 1962, Robert’s son, Mike, began helping him with making signs, and in 1975, Robert passed the torch of ownership of Ulrich Signs over to him. In the years that followed, many changes happened to Ulrich Sign Company as the business continued to grow. Mike made additions to the building space at 250 State Road, and also continued to fabricate and install signs alongside his employees, all while handling ownership duties. Robert stayed on as well, continuing to be involved with the company until his passing in 2003.
The 1980s saw great strides forward in the ways that signs were designed and built. Computerized sign design became available, and vinyl graphics began to make their appearance in the industry. These two technologies brought about a controversial decline in hand-designed and hand-painted signs and lettering. New, industry-grade sign materials were also appearing, ending the “wood and steel” era of common sign making. PVC plastics, aluminum in sheet form, and high-density urethane panels became mainstay products for creating signs, offering greater longevity and sign making versatility.
The 1990s brought even more technological and material advancements, ushering in the era of completely computerized, digital sign design and production. Designs and resulting signs could now be precise and consistent. Color digital printing also got its start, bringing back some the “old school” of the sign painting era, adding a “personal touch” to designs and artwork. Newer, high-tech, laminated sign substrates began to become popular. Ulrich Signs embraced all of the advances that were being made, all while keeping the workforce employed, and continuing to grow. In 1991, Mike’s son-in-law, Chris McCaffrey, began to work for the company.
The turn of the century also brought increases in capability for Ulrich Signs. A boom truck was purchased, as well as a bucket truck, giving the company the ability to be self-sufficient with raising signs, service work on tall signs, and greater versatility for installation work. In 2003, a computer-driven table router was acquired, which brought significant in-house manufacturing capability to the company. Custom sign shapes could be routed out of materials quickly and perfectly, right in the shop. Letters could be cut from materials or carved into sign faces with the highest quality and precision. In 2004, color digital printing was brought in-house, allowing for the greatest latitude in design and artistic expression. The rising popularity of LED illumination also impacted the company in two significant ways. First, many signs could be illuminated with cost-efficient, low-maintenance LEDs instead of neon or fluorescent lamps. Second, durable LED message center signs began to be available in earnest, and Ulrich Signs jumped on board with this technology as a high-tech and ultra-versatile alternative to standard changeable copy signs.
In 2006, Mike Ulrich handed the torch of company ownership to long-time employee Chris McCaffrey, and, like his dad before him, continued to be active in the company until 2010, when he retired completely. Under Chris, the sign company expanded and grew during a time of drastic economic decline for much of the country, adding equipment, employees, and clients in every facet of business, from small businesses to major corporate companies.
In late-2016, a spacious, 25,000 square foot warehouse building was purchased at 177 Oakhurst Street in Lockport, and renovations began in order to outfit it for signmaking fabrication, production work, vehicle storage, and office/sales space. In May of 2017, Ulrich Signs moved their operations to this building, adding to it additional fabrication and truck equipment, more employees, and continued growth in the industry.
In 2020, Coronavirus required the shutdown of most businesses, but Ulrich Signs was able to keep their doors open, providing essential services work for businesses needing service work on their signs, and various safety signage relevant to the operation of other essential service businesses allowed to remain open.
Coming up to today, Ulrich Signs recently updated from their 21 year-old CNC router to a brand new, state-of-the-art CNC table router, introduced digital channel letter fabrication equipment, updated their digital printing equipment and also added two brand new heavy boom trucks, as well as an additional bucket truck and service pickup truck to their fleet.
As of 2024, Ulrich Sign Company is a thriving, 85 year-old local business with customers all over the WNY region, state, and surrounding states. With all of the company growth in space and equipment, and a workforce of over 20 dedicated employees, Ulrich Sign Company has come a very long way since Robert Ulrich’s humble beginnings back in 1939, yet it maintains the simple approach of small business courtesy as a leader in the craft of creative signmaking.
Future of the Company
The future of us here at Ulrich Sign Company is always looked upon with enthusiasm. One thing for certain is that our sign company is always ready to serve you with all your signage needs. If you’re a business in Buffalo, NY, Lockport, NY, Niagara Falls, NY or elsewhere in New York State, you can count on Ulrich Sign Company to create the perfect, state-of-the-art signage your business needs. Our work can help bring in new customers and add value to your business. Don’t wait to get started on your new outdoor signs, banners, or graphics for your business. Call us today to learn more information about our sign company in Buffalo, NY!