Customer Spotlight: Columbia Bank
Columbia Bank
1301 A St.
Tacoma, WA 98402
www.columbiabank.com
On November 1st, Columbia Bank officially completed their acquisition of Pacific Continental for just shy of $645 million, which meant it was time to get to work on the branding transformation that needed to take place. Columbia Bank had 16 Pacific Continental branches throughout Washington and Oregon that needed all of their signage converted to the Columbia Bank brand. This meant we needed to swap out every sign, including: channel letters, monument signs, door vinyl, interior signs, parking signs, etc. Having worked with Columbia Bank a number of times in the past, we had a lot of familiarity with their signage needs, which allowed us scale the project quickly despite the large volume of signage needed.
Challenges
Anytime you take on a project of this magnitude, with multiple locations (16 to be exact), the volume of signage needed is likely going to be a challenge in one way or another. However, the challenge is typically dependent on the time constraints you have for each stage of the project. For this particular case, we had more then enough time to fabricate the signs but when it came to installing them, we had to work within a very tight window.
Handling signage projects in the banking industry, especially when it comes to acquisitions and conversions, can get a little tricky when it comes to approvals through the FDIC. Given the size of the acquisition, the deal had to go through an extensive review and approval process prior to moving forward on the transformation. After the FDIC granted approval there was a 15 day waiting period before we could begin any work on the signage.
Then came Halloween night...The waiting period was over and we were ready to begin the signage overall of the 16 branches previously known as Pacific Continental. Since the banks were still fully operational our team needed to work throughout the week while the banks were open in order to finalize the conversion as efficient as possible.
In a 3 day period, through a lot of internal coordination efforts, our crews scattered throughout Oregon and Washington to install all of the signs. It was a tight timeline but it was very much needed given the acquisition had been finalized and all of the Pacific Continental Banks were now to be operating as Columbia Banks. We're very proud of our crew and thankful to have been a part of such an expansive and exciting growth project with Columbia Bank.
Keys to Success
Familiarity:
Whether it's fabricating signage for a new branch or assisting in the branding book for their rebrand in 2014, we have worked with Columbia Bank on quite a few occasions over the years. As mentioned earlier, that level of familiarity allowed us to seamlessly scale this project across all 16 of the new branches. However, it goes both ways in that Columbia Bank was familiar with our processes and timelines, which allowed the project to maintain and achieve realistic expectations from start to finish.
Communication:
When there are so many components of a project of this size, communication was key to ensure everyone was on the same page and we were progressing towards the desired timeline in an efficient manor. Throughout the entirety of the project, we had kept an open channel of communication with the Columbia Bank team, which included multiple calls and updates every week. During key milestones of the project we even had the Columbia Bank team visit our facility so that they could see first hand how everything was progressing. This level of communication allowed all parties involved to maintain a strict timeline to ensure the project hit all of the milestones from start to finish without any setbacks that could have potentially occurred from any level of miscommunication.
Efficient Crew:
In order to install all of the signs across 16 branches during a 3 day period while the banks were operational, it required a lot of coordination and efficiency from our install crew. We had to make sure we were maximizing the time of every crew member and piece of equipment to ensure we had the right tools and people to handle every sign at each stage of the process. Multiple crews were needed at multiple locations at the same time in order to stick to the timetable we were working with. It was a full team effort to be in a few different places at once while maintaining high quality standards and continuity from branch to branch.
Before & After Pictures
To help illustrate the transformation that took place, I have put together some before and after shots of a few of the locations throughout Washington and Oregon. Every Pacific Continental sign had to go and be replaced with Columbia Bank signage. As stated earlier, that ranged from pylon signs and channel letters to parking signs and window/door vinyl.
TUALATIN, OR - 7111 SW NYBERG STREET
Channel Letters 1
Channel Letters 2
Door Vinyl
SPRINGFIELD, OR - 1011 HARLOW ROAD
Channel Letters 1
Channel Letters 2
EUGENE, OR - 255 COBURG ROAD
Pylon Sign
Cabinet Sign
BEAVERTON, OR - 12255 SW 1ST STREET
Pylon Sign
Window Vinyl - Drive-up
Monument Sign
Cabinet Sign
The Final Result
It's going to feel a little weird not having a bunch of Columbia Bank signs in our shop but it has been a great project to be a part of. It's awesome to see a local business like Columbia Bank continue to grow their footprint throughout the PNW.
This required a complete team effort with all hands in from everyone on our staff and we're proud to have had a part in the expansion of Columbia Bank. We look forward to maintaining our partnership with Columbia Bank and watching them continue to grow.