Founded in 1977, Sign Management Consultants (SMC) is built around one simple philosophy: the design and management of corporate sign programs, at the highest level of professionalism. This is our only business, and we focus on maintaining a highly-trained, experienced staff that uses state-of-the-art technology and equipment to produce maximized results for all our clients.
Paul Bain, President
Paul Bain founded Sign Management Consultants in 1977 to organize and develop independent signage services for the end user. He was the first to respond to the need for sign program management as an out-source service. The firm has held its leadership position by utilizing Paul's extensive experience in sign management, and through careful recruitment of the finest professionals available.
Kevin Carroll, Ph.D. PE, Senior Vice President
Kevin Carroll joined the firm in 1982 and was appointed vice president in 1989. Kevin has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University and is a licensed professional engineer. He oversees our structural engineering design and analysis functions and is the architect and developer of Sign-a-mateWEB™, an on-line sign structural estimating system.
In recent years, as on-line information systems have become an integral part of SMC’s daily operations and a standard means of communicating project details to and from clients and vendors, Kevin’s primary focus has been the design and development of our automated sign program implementation and management information system framework - smc primis™.
Dr. Carroll has presented several seminars on sign wind loading and structural design at International Sign Association meetings and serves on the Vanderbilt University Mechanical Engineering Department’s External Advisory Committee.
Mark Burkett, Vice President
Mark Burkett joined the firm in 1983, and for a number of years was a key person in the production of all of Sign Management Consultants' engineering documentation. At the same time he was also heavily involved in conducting quality control inspections, product evaluations, and sign surveys, gaining valuable experience in all types of sign design and program management. Mark was appointed Vice President in 1994. Presently he directs all of our engineering and product development work and is responsible for working out the practical design details on most of our sign design projects. He also oversees the production of all our AutoCAD engineering drawings.
Trent Bain, Vice President
Trent is responsible for identifying SMC’s personnel needs and long range planning. He identifies prospective clients and is responsible for responding to Requests for Proposals and/or Information. Trent has more than 16 years of experience in all areas of the sign management profession.
He began his career at Sign Management Consultants while still in school. Subsequently, he gained additional experience with an architectural sign manufacturer in Atlanta before returning to Sign Management Consultants in 1996. In 1998 he developed the first of SMC’s online tracking systems that have been tremendously expanded and are the best in our industry today. He maintains professional membership in the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD) and has given presentations for this organization.
Chris Fitzgerald, Vice President
Chris Fitzgerald joined Sign Management Consultants’ engineering department in 1998 and quickly evolved into an integral part of the business. Today he is involved in day to day operations and heads up the project management department.
He uses the combination of technology and process engineering to develop software, workflow and best practices to oversee Sign Management Consultants’ project management strategies. Used with experience, these talents result in an efficient and seamless sign conversion. All completed while maintaining integrity and cost controls that more than pay for the use of the company’s services.
Chris received a Management Information Systems MBA from Southern Illinois University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology. Through this education Chris has been an active member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Association of Information Technology Professionals.
As a consultant, Chris has worked with small businesses on key topics such as process planning, IT strategies and software development.