Next time you’re heading east over the Merrimack River via the Bridge Street bridge, look up, and a little to your left.
You will no doubt see the newest sign of the times – a 26-by-53-foot LED Dyn sign, a huge undertaking that was installed in one day by Scott Aubertin and his First Sign crew, June 30.
Aubertin stood on the roof in the midday sun, taking in a 360-view of the city, as his five-man crew put the finishing touches on installing the aluminum and polycarbonate sign.
It required a variance from the city due to its size, and the blessing of those who keep tabs on the size and shape and signage of Manchester’s historical district.
“It’s an incredible investment on the part of Dyn,” said Aubertin, who knows signs.
He’s actually the man behind many of New Hampshire’s most iconic signs – from many in downtown Manchester including Brady Sullivan Tower, Dancing Lion Chocolate, Republic, Jefferson Mill, Not So Plain Jane’s, 900 Degrees and the new Campo Enoteca, to Stonyfield Farms, Pat’s Peak and – well, too many to name without a cheat sheet.
“I’ve done a lot of signs. That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” says Aubertin, who has been making signs from his Hollis Street sign shop for 28 years.
His crew includes his son Jay Aubertin, and another father-son team, sign installers Jeff and Chris Stone of C&S Signs of Hudson. Rounding out the installation team Monday was Chad Dean and Spencer Boggis.
Getting to the roof involved riding the elevator of the old Pandora Mill building on Dow Street to the fifth floor, then climbing 18 old wooden steps up to the roof.
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From there, the cityscape is an incredible vista, with several visible landmarks – including many of the signs Aubertin has made over the years.
This newest addition is a striking combination of aerodynamics and style.
Aubertin explained that the font used for the sign was a nod to the old Pandora sign that for half a century was a prominent landmark for the millyard building.
The Dyn sign should help put Manchester on the map for its pizzazz, and further the city’s intent on rebranding itself, as a high-tech hub.
Although you may not know exactly how to pronounce Dyn (it sounds like Dine, by the way), from this day forward, name recognition should no longer be a problem.
