As part of its 120th anniversary celebration, The MBA is recognizing Icons of Industry — leaders of longtime member organizations who have contributed to the Association’s longevity, the regional business community as well as their operations and industries. Here, former MBA Board member from 1995–2000, Gary Schneider, chief executive officer and sole owner of Howard Industries, a Fairview, Pennsylvania-based manufacturer of architectural signage, shows the way to manufacturing success as he reflects on his professional journey and leadership experience.
Howard Industries has been an industry leader in architectural signage for nearly a century, tracing its roots back to your father and company founder Howard Schneider in Rochester, New York in 1928. Tell us about how the company got its start.
My father, Howard Schneider, started in his Rochester home garage hand painting signs. After many years of sign painting, he became aware of “neon,” which at that time had become quite popular. Soon, he educated himself and set up a neon production area in his basement where he would bend the glass tubing, fill with various gases for colors, including with complete electrical set up to sell to various local taverns and bars. Not long thereafter, he received a call from the Koehler Brewing Company in Erie, PA for window neon signs. With that opportunity, he moved to Erie and set up Howard Neon and Plastic Signs, gaining more clients and creating a strong foundation for what is now Howard Industries.
Howard Industries moved to Erie in 1941, and you and your brother, Larry, worked together until 1999 when you became CEO of Howard Industries, and Larry became the owner of Signal-Tech. Please share your professional journey and what leadership means to you.
Together, Larry and I took what our father instilled in us, a great work ethic and a drive to build a business and focused that on Howard Industries’ success with a product line of aluminum extruded “Post and Panel” signs which made up our Exterior product line.
Separately, we continued that passion taking different strategic directions. In partnership with an excellent collaborative team, Howard Industries would go on to add innovative and complimentary ADA Interior signage product lines that would transform our growth. While Larry singularly focused that same passion and vision on his own new business developing a very small Howard Industries traffic control product line into a massively successful new signage manufacturer/supplier in a very short time.
For me, leadership is the ability to guide others towards achieving a common goal. Yet, my best leadership attribute has been following my father’s adage of “hiring people smarter than me”. That has served me well in my business. A good leader will always have a great team who can take an idea and through collaboration, feel motivated and empowered to contribute their best efforts, even adapting to changing environments, with no greater example than the pandemic years allowing us to thrive in such a challenging time.
You’re an icon in your industry and the northwest PA business community. What do you consider the secret to your business success?
I think most entrepreneurs might admit that they had no real “secret”, per se. At the time, they simply made decisions and tested ideas they thought could help their business grow. Looking back upon the results, good or bad, one could say this one really worked or that one was not successful. But, even with the “misses,” we learned from them. In the end, I’m not sure if perseverance, great employees, ability to adapt to change is considered a secret to success or not. Moreover, it’s how you apply all those factors to your business that is the real secret.
As a leader in the sign business, how do you define the core values that have shaped Howard Industries?
Our core values translate to our “Customer Service Mission” and is in plain sight for all to see daily. Because of what we do, it’s displayed in a series of signs that are posted in our facility constantly reinforcing the values that have attributed to our lengthy industry reputation and have made us successful as a local business. Passion, Respect, Accountability, Continuous improvement, and Collegial & Congenial workplace.
What role has technology played in the transformation of Howard Industries’ manufacturing capabilities, and how has this impacted your products and services?
For us, technology and innovation go hand in hand. Innovation in our products has absolutely fueled our growth, while investing in technology has allowed us to produce at a faster pace than others in our industry, allowing us our current position of industry leader in fabrication and shipping time. This is the result of a never-ending focus on investing in advanced machinery, skilled operators and researching innovative new materials.
Please highlight a few landmark moments in Howard Industries’ history that significantly impacted its position as a top player in the sign industry.
We have had several moments that have impacted the growth and success of the company, becoming a national wholesale manufacturer from a small sign company and expanding to offer design and survey services to our clients. However, none is more impactful than the decision to add ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) interior signage to complement our long- standing Exterior Signage line. That product line has expanded well beyond our initial plans and, over the last five years, has been our single largest growing sector while opening additional markets for us.
How do you ensure that Howard Industries continues to innovate while maintaining the high standards of quality and craftsmanship for which the company is known?
Of course, we have an internal Quality program, but we learned the hard way to maintain a diligent focus on what we do well, avoiding the constant “make the sale” temptation in business and veering off from your core competencies. At the same time, learning that not every sale is a good sale. Of course, we have tried it like many other businesses only to find that in our attempt to be everything or supply everything to every client, in the end, it isn’t successful and can alienate your core clients as quality and production time diminishes doing custom one-off projects. This focus alone contributes highly in maintaining a consistent quality of products and service.
As a longtime member of The MBA, how has the Association assisted your operations and how would you describe the benefits membership?
My relationship with The MBA goes back decades, including time spent on the Board. I have always valued the business-to-business network and friendships created but have most benefited from their Training and HR services. Over the years my employees’ skills have been elevated by the classes offered, and we have used the HR services for everything from finding employees, ensuring compliance, legal advice, FMLA and much more. It’s proved to be an invaluable asset to our business.
What is your favorite memory of The MBA over the years?
My best memories of The MBA are, of course, of a person who was the heart and soul of the organization, Ralph Pontillo. Not only was Ralph a dear friend but also a mentor to me. Even as a business owner, you don’t have all the answers, and Ralph was there to talk with and offer me great advice in both my business and personal life. I also enjoyed the many events, annual dinners, and, of course, I enjoyed riding in the Roar on the Shore. Last, but not certainly least, all the business colleagues I’ve met through the Association. They’ve all in some way added to my professional career and success.
What are you most proud of when it comes to being a successful PA manufacturer?
Of course, our longevity, 96 years, is currently the longest within the signage industry. While we ship our product globally, being able to travel anywhere within PA and see our products in hundreds of colleges/ universities, hospitals and businesses across the state, it is very gratifying to know it was made not only in PA but in Erie.
For more information about Howard Industries, visit howardindustries.com.
