Merokian honored for his philanthropy

Bill Levine, a Merrick resident, was recently honored by the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County (UCPN) at the 7th annual ucpn Dignitary Awards Luncheon.
 
President of his synagogue for the past three years with various other positions prior to that, Mr. Levine has undeniably and tirelessly shown his commitment to community service.
 
On his first visit to UCPN in 2007, he learned that the agency was about to celebrate its 60th anniversary of assisting individuals with disabilities.
 
His company, WL Concepts, then proceeded to design a commemorative banner, had it produced and donated a collection of them to adorn the grounds of the ucpn facility. WL Concepts also took a list of significant dates in the history of ucpn and transformed them into a spectacular timeline display that was donated and made its debut at the anniversary celebration day last May.
 
The timeline will remain a permanent display in the ucpn breezeway and will be a resource to be enjoyed by all.
 
The UCPN has been assisting individuals with disabilities since 1948.  Today, close to 2,000 children and adults benefit from the programs and services offered by the agency.
 
Mr. Levine started his company WL Concepts in 2000. By obtaining guidance through the New York State Department of Labor through its SEAP (Self-Employment Assistance Program) Program, and with assistance from a mentor and now friend, former Naval officer John Narciso, Mr. Levine was able to begin his own company.
 
Since 2000 he has ignited a revolution in on-site branding, graphic displays, and signage. He motivates everyone he meets with his wit, humor and gregarious personality. His client roster reads like a “who’s who” in marketing.
 
By capturing the imagination of some of the world’s most successful marketers he has inspired new trends, developed long- term relationships, which have allowed him to reach phenomenal success and growth with his fairly young company.
 
He is an entrepreneur in every sense of the word.  He takes lemons and there will always be lemonade for all to share.  His ideas know no limits or bounds. Mr. Levine truly loves coming to work every day and making people happy.  All at UCPN are grateful to him and the staff of W.L. Concepts for their generosity and support.
 
Mr. Levine is the husband of Audrey Conti-Levine and father to Alissa, Robert and James, and grandfather of two.

 

The above Article appeared in MERRICK LIFE
Vol. 72 No. 26
Issue dated Thursday July 9, 2009
Information Provided to and Merrick Life by UCPN
through the assistance of Marian Keilson

Some of our clients view display signage as a minor detail, something to be added almost as an afterthought. In point of fact, a number of studies have demonstrated that visibility and design of signs have a direct correlation on an establishment's customer traffic and profits.

Signs Attract New Customers

Business owners sometimes don't appreciate just how often customers enter stores on whims. They try to attract customers through expensive advertising campaigns when in many cases good display signage will be more effective.

The Small Business Administration did a study on the effects of display signage on restaurant patronage. They discovered that over one-third of new customers in a typical fast food restaurant entered the establishment because they saw the sign. No other factor affected new customer traffic so strongly. Sit down restaurants saw as much as one quarter of their traffic generated from signs.

To be effective, these visual displays must be designed to stand out from the visual clutter around them so they grab customer attention right away. WL Concepts helps you create a design that will generate a positive, inviting feeling and encourage customers to step inside.

Signs Direct Shopper Decisions

Stores have many reasons for wanting to push certain merchandise on customers. They might be trying to unload discontinued items or want to sell products with higher markups. Whatever the reason, display signage directs customers' attention toward these key items. Successful retail stores boost profits by influencing shoppers without the customers realizing it.

Impulse buys are a significant source of revenue for most retail outlets, which is why racks are set up at store entrances, in the aisles, and at checkout stands. These small purchases don't seem like much to the customer, but can add up to significant income for the store. However these displays have become so common customers stop seeing them. Strategic use of display signage grabs shoppers' attention and encourages impulse buys.

Signs Reinforce Branding

Marketers know that strong, positive imagery is an integral part of a successful branding strategy. Carefully designed display signage not only draws the attention of passers-by, potentially turning them into customers, but creates a powerful association in people's minds.

The importance of architectural signage is so great that we have seen entire stores built to draw attention to the sign. Of all visual displays, it is the one to reach the largest audience. When the sign is the focal point of the store, there is a direct effect on profitability.

We try to educate our customers on the value of display signage. The displays seem so simple but in reality they are powerful promotional tools. A sign that is hard to see or one that presents a negative image can hurt a business. When signage is considered as part of your marketing and promotion strategy, you are positioned to reach the most customers in the best way.  

ADA Information Updates

On June 17th the US Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a formal proposal to adopt new ADAAG.  This is a huge and critical step in both updating and increasing ADA accessibility guidelines in the private sector as well as for state and local governments.  Of course there is the normal 60 days governmental period for public comment before final approval is expected.

Of course, it is likely that the DOJ will set the effective date for these changes several months down the road into the future.  This will allow and provide building owners and operators sufficient advanced notice to comply with the new requirements.

The new ADAAG includes many changes to accessible sign specifications:
Criteria for tactile typefaces have been updated to require a thin stroke width, widely spaced, without serifs or embellishments of any kind.

Mounting height for tactile signs has changed. The base line of tactile characters must be within 48 and 60 inches above the floor, slightly lower than the current requirement of 60 inches from the center of the sign.

There are new minimum heights for visual characters which increase with viewing distance. Characters on signs mounted overhead can be as small as 2” if they are no more than 10 feet above the floor; however the minimum character size increases with mounting height.

Most state building codes currently in use are very similar to the federal requirements that the DOJ is trying to issue and approve.

If you require technical assistance or have any questions regarding signage and ADA requirements and compliance feel free to contact us info@wlconcepts.com or 516-565-5151 for guidance.  Also available is the Technical Assistance board to assist with very technical questions.  They can be reached at TA@access-board.gov r 1-800-872-2253.

Other helpful links can be found at US Department of Justice ADA homepage, and ADA Requirements for Interior Signage.