2009: The Year in Review

As is typical at the end of the year CalCo is reflecting on the past twelve months. There were some unique and creative product displays, cutaways, 3-D models and POP displays created this year.  A few of them are included below for your enjoyment:

And finally, some believe that 2009 was a year down the toilet, although that was not the case at CalCo we still spent some time with one….

CalCo looks forward to another interesting year!

To contact CalCo call 847/639-3858 or click here for our contact page.

CalCo’s New Brochure is Now Available

Fresh for 2010 Calco has developed a new brochure showing all of the services offered and some examples of the quality craftmanship that is synonymous with the CalCo name.  CalCo has been offering quality tradeshow displays and cutaways for over 50 years, especially to industrial product manufacturers.   Now see some of the other services available such as 3-D models or prototypes, working models, special lighting, custom bases, corporate gifts, POP displays and other tradeshow or marketing products.  You can count on CalCo as a turn-key solution for your sales and marketing needs.

The front and back cover of the new brochure are shown below, and the full PDF can be downloaded here. (right click and choose “Save As”)

To get a look inside our new brochure please send your information (name, company and address) to brochures@calcocutaways.com.  You will receive one in the mail right away so CalCo can help you start the year right with some new ideas to show your product in its best light because “Your Product is Our Profession”

For more ideas visit our website at www.calcocutaways.com ,  click here for contact information or call 847/639-3858.

Customized Point of Purchase (POP) Displays

Are your products in view when it’s time to make a purchase?

Hire a POP display to be your full time sales tool.

Point of Purchase Displays can be used in traditional ways at retailers or distributors but they are also great sales tools.  CalCo can custom design a POP display for your product which can be utilized in many ways. A well done POP display can not only provide information about your product but it can grab attention.  It draws consumers to investigate your product first and ultimately buy it over your competitors because information and awareness make the sale.

POP displays are typically used to promote new lines or products but even an older product can benefit from the being in the spotlight.  People are drawn to POP’s because they are visually compelling but also because they tell a story about your product by showing its benefits.  Often this can be the deciding factor in making the sale.  The point is to get your product visible and show the unique attributes which make it superior to your competition.

POP displays are made from a variety of products and in a variety of ways.  Some are simple while others are very complex.   There are as many kinds of POP displays as there are products. We specialize in working with industrial products and making them accessible and easily understood. For this reason our POP displays are high quality and durable so they can withstand some of the different environments in which they are displayed.  Our POP’s have been used in warehouses, lobbies, distributors offices, and have traveled on sales calls.  There are a myriad of possibilities when it comes to designing your display.  Let CalCo know how you want to use it and we can help you come up with a great design that will attract attention, give your customers knowledge of your product and ultimately, make you look good.

To contact CalCo call 847-639-3858 or click here for contact information.

The Buck Stops Here

Your company uses a variety of vendors for certain products or services every day, making make life easier for everyone. So do we.

Your company probably uses a few providers that actually make life more difficult for you or your coworkers. Same here.

On Monday one of our primary vendors emailed to let us know that our project with them was complete. . .Great.

This was typical and expected. . .

However, the details on getting the order back to us were left out, forcing us to stop what we were doing, contact them about it and make these arrangements ourselves. Done.

Once the items were received, we found quality issues on practically every piece that was delivered. Where was the quality control??

We would have sent the entire order back to be redone from scratch, except that we needed these pieces for a larger project that our client was expecting on time. We had to stop what we were doing (again) and fix every mistake and flaw to bring this project back up to our high standard of quality, (which our client expects).

Everything worked out in the end, our client was thrilled with the final result and his coworkers were equally impressed with the craftsmanship and attention to detail, (and the shipping was arranged without our client’s involvement whatsoever).

So the extra effort on our end resulted in a great experience for our client. We love that.

The vendor’s actions, on the other hand, had to be managed, monitored and corrected.   Is this the case with some of your providers?

Communication and responsibility are the landmarks of a company you can trust for the long term. The reason companies like CalCo have been around for over half a century, is because they are trusted, respected and are the go-to guys when quality and professionalism are important.

Did you know that CalCo can handle your POP displays, your screen printing, your photography, your display storage, your prototyping, your sales cases, your website design, your 3D animation, your metal finishing, your large format printing, your digital image manipulation, and many of the other items you struggle with every day?  It’s true.

Please call 847-639-3858 or email to see if your project can be handled correctly this time by CalCo, let us handle the problems so you can just sleep easy for once.

Unique Awards, Plaques and Corporate Gifts

CalCo can create unique awards using your product or logo. In the past we have created personalized magnets , lamps with product cutaways, scale models of products and much more for service rendered awards. These are much more exciting and more memorable than the old gold watch and they provide the recipient with a displayable permanent reminder of the years invested in your company.

We can also create corporate gifts, holders for certification awards or promotional items using your product or a lightweight scale model. Let us know what you want to do and we will help you find a way to do it!

Click here to contact CalCo or call us at 847/639-3858.  Click here to see another award idea.

Cut face paint, where the Outer meets the Inner

When opting for a cutaway, the point is to show off the internal components and passageways that are typically hidden from view.

Alongside this process is that peculiar area that gets exposed which is actually the area inside the metal that gets exposed.

In this area CalCo applies their signature cut face paint for a number of reasons:

1. To let the audience know that the display is actually a cutaway
2. To cover up any minor casting imperfections that may appear
3. Help prevent this newly exposed metal from showing signs of corrosion over time

CalCo knows the difference between professional looking displays and basic showiness. You can be rest assured that CalCo cutaways will draw people in to talk about your great products and the benefits that the cutaways are showing.

Click here for contact information for CalCo or call 847-639-3858.

Corporate Installations Tell an Impressive Story

When guests and visitors enter your premises, are they greeted by a stunning display that grabs them and generates interest and intrigue? What sort of impression does your current lobby or entryway create? Does it provide additional insight and/or education into the company as a whole?

Read the rest of this entry »

CalCo is Used To Losing Sleep on Your Behalf

Over the years CalCo has been creating great relationships with Premier Vendors in a wide variety of products. Often, these products can be ordered through CalCo for the same cost as ordering direct. Why is this advantageous? Because when you order from CalCo, what you get is what you ordered in the first place, and the quality control steps remain invisible.

Imagine ordering your supplies and they show up, on time and just how you expected. Let CalCo worry about the messy details and the back and forth. You have plenty of more important tasks to occupy your time.