Blog Posts - All the Newsworthy Things at HC Brands

Ever Bank Field: Where Bigger Is Definitely Better

Given that our company has served as a staple to this city for over 60 years, we are all very aware of anything new and exciting coming to our streets here in Jacksonville Florida. Whether it’s a new building downtown, or the ever popular One Spark reappearing and winding its way through our streets, we usually have all the details.

If you happen to follow any football related news, or if you watch Stephen Colbert, you may have heard about the “world’s largest video display at a stadium” according to Karen Feagins of NPR. There’s no denying it and probably nothing to rival the lights from the new and improved Ever Bank Stadium within a hundred miles, unless you count the racetrack in Daytona, and in a football town like Jacksonville, few really do.

With a string of note worthy new recruits for the team including UCF’s own Blake Bortles in the lineup to come up should veteran QB Chad Henne not be up to the task, this upcoming year promises to be an entertaining season if nothing else.

According to the previously mentioned article, the ginormous display is the result of linking together a whopping 15,000 individual television screens to produce one single image that is even larger than the field itself.

And while other ticket holders for other surrounding teams may be excited to watch their respective teams take the field, our stadium now offers something even more grandiose than its mammoth sized displays perched atop the stadium itself.

Care For A Dip Anyone?

That’s right! The proud home of the Jacksonville Jaguars now boasts swimming pools and private cabanas for the true Jaguars fans to reserve and purchase access to – for the right price of course. But even still, at what other sports stadium are fans given the option to cool off in swimming pools? And while these pools may not get too much attention in the winter months (yes, Florida DOES have a winter season), the still simmering temperature of summer won’t be disappearing any time soon and will probably only begin to give way to the more cool and crisp temperatures associated with fall mid-October. So with that being said, there is still plenty of time to break out those swim trunks and bikini’s before the end of the year!

We’re so pleased and proud of our city and our Jaguar’s for putting together something this grand! And while everyone and their second cousin twice removed, has an opinion on the whopping $63 million dollars spent on the construction of these ‘upgrades’ to Ever Bank – the fact remains that if you build it they will come.

Already all of the available spots for the exclusive uses of the pools and the cabanas have been purchased and were sold out in minutes of becoming available. But because the owner of our team remains dedicated to keeping our jaguars here in Jacksonville, there is always next year to secure your spot!

We are all so proud of our city and our team for their continued excellence and dedication to making our city the very best it can be, and to making sure that all who visit here have a wonderful and one-of-a-kind experience!

What about you? How do you feel about the new renovations to the EverBank Stadium here in Jacksonville? Plan on going to any games? Let us know in the comments section below!

Happy Fourth of July!

Is it really July 4th already?! It feels like just last week we were freezing in our long sleeved shirts and heavy coats! Time really does fly when you’re having fun – and we’ve been having a blast! Remember our Bring Your Dog To Work Day post?

Well now the fireworks are ready, the burgers and hot dogs bought in large supply, and we’re all ready to kick back, relax, and enjoy our day off! But let’s not forget what this Holiday is really about.

Vendors are coming out of the woodwork in droves, ready to showcase their summer food, merchandise, and get noticed! But the problem is standing out in a sea of wandering and hungry people. How exactly do they manage to do it? Signs.

We pass them on our way to work, on our way home, and even at crowded festivals – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we always see them. We may not think about them all the time, but the second we start to look for that one specific thing in a crowded area, a sign is the very first thing we start to look for.

But when it comes to even vendors, it may not be practical to carry around a great big sturdy sign everywhere. That’s where vinyl banners come in handy. Big, portable, and most importantly, durable! Whether you’re going from one event to the next or you’ve got a break in between to recharge, a vinyl banner will last you for years to come. With our manufacturing process here at Holmes Stamp & Sign, our vinyl banner signs will not only survive years of use, but also feature fade resistant colors and designs. We’ve been in this business for over 60 years and take our work very seriously; that way when you got to take your banner out of storage five years from now, it’ll still look as great as it did the day you got it in the mail! Like with the 4th of July, we believe in the freedom of choices, that’s why we let you tell us just what you want your banner to look like. Just send us your artwork and we’ll do the rest!

We can’t be any more excited for the 4th a celebration of freedom and of our wonderful country! Over the years it becomes easier to forget just why we celebrate the fourth of July. It’s a great country that we live in, and the fact that our country was founded in the idea of freedom makes it even better.

So on this fourth of July, take some time to relax and enjoy knowing that you live in a country founded in the belief in freedom! Get out there and enjoy the sun, hamburgers, hot dogs, and your time with friends and family!

If you happen to live here in Jacksonville, and don’t really know what kinds of festivities we’ve got going on, head on over to iknowjax.com and find something fun for just yourself or the whole family!

We’ve Been Working Like Dogs!

This past Friday was Bring Your Dog To Work Day at Holmes Stamp & Sign! The dogs were barking, the laser engravers were engraving, and everyone was smiling ear to ear. With over 60 animal loving employee’s, we knew Friday wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, but for some this is the highlight of the year! And even though our factory floors and counter tops may had some out of place furry faces, don’t think for a second that we were too distracted to get your order out on time!

As much as we love our pets, everyone who works here is hard working and 100% dedicated to doing their job to the best of their ability. But if you want to know a secret, we think having the dogs around actually helped keep us happy and even more focused throughout the day. You may be wondering just how we came to that conclusion, well the answer is simple. The happier the employee, the happier the customer! Happy employee’s make better products! Our employee’s don’t cut corners or let flaws get past them, the overall quality of their work and the work of the company is just better!

Studies have shown that we’re not the only ones who think there is a connection between happy people and having pets. Over the past number of years there has been a tremendous surge in service dogs and labeling dogs as “comfort animals”. There is also a growing number of programs for returning military personnel exhibiting signs of post-traumatic stress disorder where the afflicted individual is given a dog. So far the experiment has gone well and as a result, the practice is gaining popularity.

And while it was great to get to watch and interact with so many of our own pets at work this past week, it’s easy to forget about all those animals out there without homes. Periodically we like to take up donations for our local Jacksonville Humane Society, because just as you might give away old baby clothes to someone in need, shelters are always looking for linens, toys, food donations and much more.

We’re so proud to be members of the Jacksonville community, and we applaud all the recent efforts of our animal shelters. Desperately working to become a no kill city, Jacksonville is going to need the help and support of this awesome community that we know and love so much. Many locals are showing their support with a custom dog themed address stamp. Having spent the past 60 years here, we don’t think that will be a problem for our amazing residents.

Want to get involved and help animals in shelters who are in need? Check out your local animal shelter or if you’re local Jacksonville dwellers like us, look in to what you can do to help out at the local Humane Society – even if you don’t want to adopt, there are still plenty of ways to do your part!

One Spark Comes To Jacksonville and Holmes Stamp is Here To Help!

Once a year the downtown Jacksonville streets are taken over by the famous One Spark event. Various venues and ‘creators’ come together in hopes of raising money for creativity, innovative ideas, bright shining new concepts, and just all around good causes in need of funding. Over the years, we’ve seen One Spark come and go and while we tend to be a great big bunch of do-gooders, we realized we didn’t seem to be doing too much good.

So this year we decided to do something a little different. We got together with our own set of ‘creators’ (we humbly call them our Marketing Team) and put together a collection of products specifically designed in mind for the One Spark Creators. Regardless of what you’re hoping to get that precious funding for, we’re here to help you get noticed and be memorable when it comes time to securing those all important votes!

And with happy customer shout-outs like this one and our production area full of One Spark products, we must have done something right! Our goal here at Holmes Stamp & Sign is to not only provide our customers with great products but to also provide them with the things that they need at a reasonable price. Feel like you’re too late to grab on to a great deal? Think again! Most of our orders are shipped the next business day! Granted some items like our One Spark Custom Banners, may take a little more time but if you’re tight on time don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll see what we can do for you!

Holmes Stamp & Sign has been a part of the fair city of Jacksonville since its inception over 60 years ago! And when you combine our love of our home town with getting to foster the fundamental ideals of community, creativity, charity, and innovation- what more could we possibly ask for?

The Faces of Holmes Stamp & Sign

Over the years, people may have come and gone but the underlying ideals and principals behind Holmes Stamp & Sign have remained the same. Throughout the course of our astounding 60 year history, we have survived endless political debates, societal changes, and massive cultural shifts. But did we fight them? No- we welcomed them.

In a world where so much stress and emphasis is placed on attributes as basic as one’s physical appearance, to far more personal matters regarding one’s sexual orientation- we choose to see nothing more than great people, with great ideas, coming to work every day for a great company.

We dare to be different. We are firm believers in diversity, and that it is diversity that breeds creativity and innovation- aspects of our world of business, marketing, and manufacturing that are so crucial on an everyday basis.

There is no question that we exist in a world that is constantly changing; but our beliefs in acceptance, and commitment to the ideals of creativity and innovation are what separates us from the rest.

Here at Holmes Stamp & Sign we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and work hard to bring you the best quality products and customer service we can manage and also to promote equality, diversity, and acceptance both at home and in our community!

So who are we? We’re real people. Get to know us!

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Tigers Visit Holmes Stamp & Sign

Lion, and tiger’s, and bear’s! There’s no place like home for us here at Holmes Stamp & Sign in Jacksonville, FL. We’ve got the sun, the sand, the surf, an eclectic downtown and beach atmosphere- not to mention a seriously amazing Zoo!

So when that same Zoo comes to us and asks us to deliver them a quality one-of-a-kind engraved wooden sign for their new Land of the Tigers exhibit, how could we possibly refuse?! We couldn’t wait!

See the city’s latest furry residents now at the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens!

Feedback!

Throughout the history of the Holmes Stamp & Sign company, we have always prided ourselves on our outstanding customer service and quality products. We work hard providing our customer with the best designs we can imagine and match them with the best prices we can offer. We’re pretty proud of ourselves and apparently you guys are too!

Whether our customers realize it or not, we rely on their feedback whether it’s positive or negative. We take all comments, suggestions, and complaints seriously and work to make sure that our customers receive the absolute best shopping experience possible by shopping with us. Lately however, we must be doing something right! In the past couple weeks, we’ve received a slew of positive feedback and we couldn’t be more thrilled!

Missy: So great!!! I sent a custom font and it turned out perfect- exactly what I wanted! I will definitely recommend this shop and use them again! Thanks so much!”

Sarah Shin: “Great communication by the seller. Was very prompt and quick with the proof–even thought I asked for multiple changes. Thank you!”

Lindsey Honeyager: Love this shop! Great looking designs, fast communication, super quick turnaround! I can’t recommend them higher.”

Kristy Catrett: So exciting to press the first of two new embossers and see my company name! Very clear and crisp! And the customer service is AMAZING! Very timely and helpful! Much appreciated!”

From everything from custom rubber stamps, to embossers, to DIY ‘Save The Date’s’- these are just a few of the kind words we’ve received from our faithful customers as of late. We’re so happy that everyone is enjoying! Please keep the comments coming!

Over 50 Years and Counting at Holmes Stamp & Sign

Holmes Stamp & Sign Does "No Shave November"

While November is typically known for cooler temperatures, family gatherings, Black Friday, and monstrous amounts of turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes (otherwise known as Thanksgiving dinner). November has also become known more recently for yet another reason- “No Shave November”. The very mention of it makes wives and girlfriends groan, and roll their eyes in unison. The men get excited and steel the resolve to go the entire month of November without shaving.

But as the month wears on that excitement turns to irritation as well as exhaustion- not just at their scruff, but also at the nagging of their significant others to get rid of it. But then hold strong- and refuse to submit to defeat.

No matter how tiring.

As you can see from the picture below, the men at Holmes Stamp & Sign are no different. And after many days and nights of ever growing facial scruff, they finally reached the end of November. Note the excitement on their faces!

We showed you ours, now you show us yours! Send us some of your “No-Shave-November” shots and we’ll feature the best ones in an upcoming blog post!

Crushedblack Presents…With a little help from Rain Dog’s and HolmesStamp &Sign

crushedblack rain dogs jacksonville local — credit: Zane Hall

The city of Jacksonville is as rich in its history as it is in its uniqueness. Jacksonville is the largest city in the country in terms of size, and one of America’s fastest growing as well. So it goes without saying that there are a lot of different people wandering around here in north Florida and oftentimes, with a lot of people, comes a lot of talent- granted, not always; but sometimes we get lucky.

Somewhere off the beaten path in downtown Jacksonville, rests the humble yet eclectic Rain Dogs bar. Amid a slew of antique shops, small deli’s, bars, and restaurants lies a haven for artists and those with dreams of making a difference in their community and the world. Rain Dogs, a café, art gallery, and concert venue, fills this gaping void in the Jacksonville community. Though relatively new to the area, Rain Dogs is already making a splash in the art community with the help of co-owner Christina Wagner.

So when a group young group of filmmakers under the direction of visionary Jacksonvillian Keagan Anfuso came to Wagner with the idea of hosting a film screening event, Wagner handed over the keys to her Rain Dog’s castle for the sake of art and the rest was local history.

Anfuso’s team is known as CrushedBlack and is made up of a small yet skillful production team determined to breathe life in the film scene here in Jacksonville. Not only do they wish to showcase their own work, but also the works of others like them who are just itching for an audience. The event hosted by the supportive owners of Rain Dog’s attempted to do just that and proved a valiant success.

crushedblack rain dogs local jacksonville — credit: Zane Hall

Naturally we at Holmes Stamp and Sign wanted to help out. We are huge supporters of not just the arts but in originality, and fostering the idea of community in our city. When Anfuso’s ambitious project reached our ears, we knew we had to get involved and help make it the best it could be. By using the Crushed Black Logo we created stickers, and stamps galore as well as a custom banner (see featured image for link) that hung high and proud on the wall where all the guests could see it.

So often anymore, the ingenuity of stamps gets overlooked for flashier methods to spread a message. However Anfuso and her team decided to use our logo stamps and some good old ingenuity at the event to decorate napkins and stamp guests hands upon entering the bar. It is this renewed sense of creativity that small businesses thrive off of- ours included. And like CrushedBlack we are determined to help small businesses and projects with big ideas behind them to the very best of our abilities.

In the case of CrushedBlack, their efforts combined with those of the individuals supporting them proved a brilliant success. With screenings of mini documentaries, a music video, some short horror films, and the musical styles of various local groups. Hopefully the success of this first event will be the first of many events that Jacksonville local’s CrushedBlack put together for the area and for fellow creative souls in need of a breath of fresh talent.

Note: All photo’s of the event were taken by local Jacksonville photographer Zane Hall. Find him on Facebook.