FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2006

Weathertyte® Rises High In Restaurant Renovation

PAWTUCKET, RI—When the owner of a Ruby Tuesday restaurant wanted a new look that would draw customers into his bar, he called on the team at Eugene Sign & Awning (ES & A) to come up with something unique and eye-catching. Ms. Kelly Reid and Mr. Tom Maxwell, sales/design team for ES &A went to work and did just that.

As part of the renovation project, ES&A came up with a distinctive way to add color and light using raised panels suspended over the bar. ES&A needed an attractive, fabric-look material that would be resistant to environmental hazards to cover the panels; “We wanted a durable and long lasting material; since woven fabric tends to sag over time, we chose to use Weathertyte,” said Maxwell.

ES&A’s original design was for burgundy panels with gold stripes made with pressure sensitive vinyl. However, the owner of the bar didn’t care for the stripes so the pressure sensitive vinyl was removed. Had they utilized a woven fabric as originally planned, the stripes would have been painted on and removal would have been impossible. With Weathertyte, the stripes were easily removed and no material was wasted.

The Weathertyte was stretched and stapled to an aluminum frame, bolted to the wall and suspended from the ceiling with aircraft wire, which was painted black. Strategically placed track lighting was added to enhance the ambience of the bar and the lighter back side of the Weathertyte created a nice light reflection. “Customers notice the panels from outside of the restaurant, which draws them in,” said Maxwell. “The owner basically designed the bar around the panels.”

Weathertyte® awning fabric, manufactured by Cooley Sign & Awning Products, is a technically advanced waterproof and flame resistant awning material, which offers the look and feel of a woven fabric but has all the benefits of a high performance composite vinyl. More information about Weathertyte can be found at www.weathertyte.com.

ES & A Sign & Awning is one of the largest manufacturers of custom signs and commercial awnings in the West. ES & A offers services from design through installation and maintenance of virtually all types of signs and awnings and features the latest in computerized manufacturing technology at their 30,000 square foot centralized facility located in Eugene, Oregon. ES & A serves businesses in California, Oregon and Washington, but also fabricates signs and awnings shipped throughout the United States. More information about ES & A can be found at www.esasigns.com

Cooley Group found its roots in Cooley Finishing Company, established in 1926 to finish cotton cloth into awning fabric. Today, Cooley employs the latest in chemical engineering technology to produce state-of-the-art polymer materials. The five divisions of Cooley Group are Cooley Sign & Awning Products, Cooley Digital Products, Cooley Engineered Membranes, Cooley Specialty Products and Cooley Building Products. Cooley Sign & Awning Products manufactures a variety of substrates for awnings, backlit signs, banners, as well as other applications. Cooley sign and awning substrates can be seen around the world enhancing the image of many companies such as Boston Market, Exxon Mobil, Dunkin’ Donuts, Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, KFC and more.

Cooley Sign & Awning Products is headquartered in Pawtucket, RI with manufacturing plants and offices in Rhode Island and South Carolina. Weathertyte® is a registered trademark of the Cooley Group

Cooley Sign & Awning Products
50 Esten Avenue
Pawtucket, RI
Phone: 800-992-0072 or 401-721-6215
E-Mail: info@cooleygroup.com
Website URL: www.cooleygroup.com