Lely Builds North America Campus with One-of-a-Kind Architectural Signage

Lely is a leader in robotics and data management for dairy producers. The company was founded in the Netherlands, and it’s no surprise that Lely felt a connection to the Dutch community of Pella, Iowa, when selecting its site for their North American headquarters. Pella is a small town with deep roots in agriculture and manufacturing and is now home to another agricultural industry leader.

As an innovator in improving ways to milk, feed, house, and care for cows, Lely needed a modern headquarters that reflected their trend-setting style. Designed by Substance Architecture, the Lely headquarters has a sleek glass, metal, and concrete facade. The architects also planned for dynamic exterior architectural signage that was as innovative as Lely itself.

Exterior Architectural Signage for Lely’s North America Campus

“The team at Substance Architecture had the vision to place a giant illuminated logo sign on the front of the building’s glass wall, and we had to figure out how to make it happen,” says Pat Mescher, Business Development Manager for Latitude. “Our signage experts crafted a completely custom solution to attach the sign to the metal mullions between the glass panels. It took a lot of planning, but the finished look is clean and crisp.”

On the ground, the team designed another one-of-a-kind sign. Lely headquarters faces Highway 163, and from the road, the words “farming innovators” seems to rest on the grass. “The goal was to create an illuminated sign that appeared to float above the grass,” Mescher says. “Through clever planning and engineering, the production team delivered big.”

And we mean big, the sign spans more than 83 feet and each letter is almost 5-foot tall. Each letter is supported by a steel tube that can withstand high winds and houses the electrical components needed to illuminate the letters. The aluminum letters are 12-inches deep. The face is made from a 3/16-inch white translucent polycarbonate with internal white LED illumination that really makes the sign pop at night.

In addition to this unique signage, more traditional exterior signage exists as well. A large monument sign welcomes guests as they turn onto the campus as well as directional signage and necessary parking identification. With the creative signage, comes the necessary signage.

More Than Corporate Signage

“Yes, we’re a design and signage company,” Mescher says. “But we’re so much more than just room and building signs. At times we are truly crafting architectural art pieces that complement and enhance a building or a space.”

With designers, fabricators, and installers all on the same team and collaborating together, we are able to create one-of-a-kind architectural signage.

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