Large-format 3D printing in progress.

Pflugerville Signs Signarama (Pflugerville Signs), headquartered in Pflugerville, Texas, is not your average sign company. To the contrary, the full-service sign shop’s expertise, customer service and unparalleled attention to every creative detail serve to elevate its customers’ businesses to new heights.

Brother and sister co-owners, Moe Hallak (President) and Maha Cruz (Vice President), have operated the business for 16 years. The two were born in Kuwait and grew up in England before moving in 1992 to work in their family’s New York-based company with a main focus on visual merchandise, window display and branding for corporate events. Their father started the family sign business nearly 75 years ago in Lebanon and moved the company to Kuwait and then to England before coming to the U.S. In 1992, Moe and Maha moved the company’s prime location to Pflugerville for logistical purposes and to support the local community, which did not have a full-scale sign business at the time.

Creative Genes

Creativity and ingenuity certainly run in the family, giving Pflugerville Signs its unique flair. The elder Hallak, in fact, had an advertising agency in the Middle East, and was a famous calligrapher, working with many international brands. Moe and Maha’s mom spent years in the movie and television industry as a film producer, soap opera producer and commercial advertising producer. Maha initially got into fashion design and makeup companies and Moe settled in the commercial design world.

Those creative genes translated eventually to the sign industry. Today, using the latest technology and highest quality products, Pflugerville Signs is well versed in branding, and can produce the perfect custom signs for its diverse customer base. The now third-generation business can custom fabricate a multitude of sign types, lightbox signs, customized channel letter signs, fleet graphics, corporate identity design, digital graphics, custom facility directories, ADA signs, custom monuments and marquees, large-scale LED message centers and much more.

Having worked with major brands including Saks Fifth Avenue, Burberry, MAC Cosmetics and Sephora, as well as big media companies such as Disney Theatrical, WB, IFC, CBS and Fox Media, the Pflugerville Signs team is equipped to advance the image of any business, big and small.

Technology at the Fore

Whether printable fabrics or 3D large format printing, the Pflugerville Signs team (which today includes at least nine family members) keeps up with the latest technology. Moe shares, “The 3D printer is the newest addition to our arsenal of equipment. It is a high-speed printer with a dual head and is the largest 3D printer in the state of Texas of its kind, with the ability to print up to 50x48x72 in one shot at a high speed. It opens up the abilities to produce projects that traditionally would be impossible to create.”

Having the large format 3D printer has allowed the company to go from computer aided design straight to production. This has opened up a wide variety of possibilities, for example, architectural features such as fountains for gardens, customized building facades, and now as the landscape and needs of downtown Austin transforms, Pflugerville Signs can replicate historical elements for buildings that are being renovated or have missing architectural features.

Moe says, “We can 3D print furniture and create customized 3D props for TV and theatrical productions, especially for the movie and film industries. We can also 3D print unique patterns for interior design, such as reception desks. It opens up the imagination to things that normally would not have been possible for architects or interior designers. We have the ability to 3D print a full-to-scale car if we want to. It’s extremely versatile. It’s magical. It’s my favorite machine right now in the shop.”

Maha quips, “We have a red carpet right in front of the machine!” She adds that they have invested in unique equipment including custom-built printers in order to accommodate their custom-printed direct-to-fabrics department which has its main focus on logo pillows and cushions, as well as elite backdrops for events…to name just a few uses. The company has, in fact, worked on innumerable events for corporations, such as Target and Saks Fifth Avenue, and has a long-running relationship with Austin’s annual South by Southwest (SXSW) conference and festival.

They also work with numerous not-for-profits, including Save the Children, The Robin Hood Foundation, Doctors Without Borders, and Michael J. Fox Foundation, to name a few. Maha says, “We grew up in the event industry and we became well known in New York for being able to conceptualize and produce products that other companies simply don’t have the capability or expertise to produce.”

All Signs Point to Supporting Local Business

Michelle Sledz, Senior Business Development Manager for The Blue Book Network®, remarks, “They are a hidden gem here in our area. They’re amazing. I can’t emphasize that enough. They’re really awesome people too. They’ve added so much to the community.”

Moe explains, “We are able to support a lot of local small businesses with branding. We help them invest in the right type of signage and figure out exactly what their target is in their business pursuit. Our goal is to be their partner and guide them in the right direction.”