Boise or Bust

If you’re close to Boise, the Boise Stage Stop is the place to fill the tank, eat and find intriguing souvenirs. Bob French, owner, recently replaced his 20+ year old display along Interstate 84 with a Daktronics sign, sold and installed by Lytle Signs, as well as added a display to the Stage Stop to advertise while people fuel up. Bob explained, “People are traveling 80mph with a 1,200-foot exit, so we need to have a large sign up to catch attention quickly. We only have 14 or 15 seconds to convince them to exit.”

French did his homework figuring out what it takes to sway drivers to put on the blinker. “We have a 42 by 10-foot display along the road that changes every 2-3 seconds, so we can get 4-5 messages on before they run out of time. When they gas up, they might see as many as 30 messages since they are 10-15 seconds apart. Color and motion draw people in.”

When French was researching his options for a new display, he carefully considered his choices. What made French choose Daktronics? “You took the time to show me how you would be supportive of my goals to sell more fuel. People were available to take care of my needs. I expect these signs to last so I need to know what service and warranty support I’m getting. In light of that, it made sense to go with Daktronics. There are a lot of variables and you want to do it right.”

One other factor made the choice a smart move: financial savings by consuming less power. “Idaho power has some of the cheapest electricity in the country because of the dams, and they can sell surplus power,” French explained. “The more efficient they are, the more money they make. They give you a rebate if you bring down your power use. Previously, I was at 90 kilowatts a month at 384 amps. Now I use 180 amps! They cut me a rebate check for $18,000 for switching.”

Sounds like a smart move to us.