About Henry

THE HENRY TEAM

Throughout this website we have stressed that building strong client relationships is central to our business approach. We have emphasized our desire to act as team members, working together with the other principal players on each project, to develop ideal solutions for any challenge that presents itself. Consistently meeting that goal is only possible because of the talent and dedication of the people who make up our in-house team. Consider this section an introduction to these incredible people, and a glimpse into what they are capable of.

For over sixty years the Henry family has focused on two constants: A commitment to the reputation of the company, and a great appreciation for the men and women that make it up. They have always worked to make the company the best it could be: to produce the best products, provide the best service, and be the best partner our clients could hope for.

Just as important is the culture they have built within the company. Henry has attracted, and kept, some of the best talent in the industry. This has only been possible because of the Henry’s commitment to providing each employee with room for professional growth, freedom to develop creative solutions, and the best tools and technology possible.

Henry Timeline

1956 – Henry Neon Founded

Walt Henry started Henry Neon with one 1954 GMC pickup truck he purchased with a $600 loan. The business was a one-man operation, run out of Walt’s home, that serviced lighted signs.

1958 – Expanding Services

Walt secured a second loan to purchase a 45’ hand crank crane truck: serious equipment at the time. This opened up new opportunities, including the installation of new signs shipped in from various manufacturers.

1960 – Manufacturing Begins

Walt moved into his first commercial location on Candler Road in Decatur, Georgia. In this new space he set up a neon plant and simple manufacturing facilities. This not only allowed in-house neon repairs but also the manufacture of new neon signs.

1965 – Expanding Capabilities

By 1965 Henry Neon was a full-fledged sign shop, with Walt and his crew manufacturing and installing various kinds of lighted signs. This growth required a move, and we opened a location on Glenwood Avenue in Atlanta.

1970 – Moving Again

Both local development and continued growth forced another move. Location number three was back to Decatur, this time on Mellville Avenue, right around the corner from our first location.

1972 – Expanding the Fleet

Walt continue to expand his business and purchased additional cranes as necessary to accommodate the ever-greater demands of his clients.

1979 – Changing of the Guard

Walt Henry died unexpectedly in 1979. Ric Henry had been working with his father for some time and took the reins upon Walt’s death. One of Ric’s first acts as president was to incorporate Henry Neon.

1980—1985 – Rapid Growth

Under Ric’s leadership Henry Neon grew exponentially, becoming a major player in the Atlanta market. Clients of the period included Atlanta’s own Rich’s Department Stores before they became the core of Macy’s central division in 2005. We also picked up the McDonald’s installation account during this period. Though their signs have been manufactured by several companies over the years, everything within about one hundred miles of our office has been installed by us.

1987 – New Digs

With the purchase and construction of a new 35,000’ building the company was better equipped to keep up with demand, as the manufacturing side of the business continued to expand. This building still serves as our corporate headquarters in Decatur, Georgia.

1988 – A New Name

Henry Neon had come so far from the days of merely servicing neon signs it was time for a change. Neon itself was fading in popularity and was now used primarily for artistic effect. Additionally, our products and services now included maintenance, service and installation, as well as the manufacture of all types of signs and awnings. The new name, Henry Sign Systems, better represented the many ways we served our customers.

1989 –1995 – Continued Growth

Iconic projects from this period included Underground Atlanta, Six Flags Over Georgia, the new international Concourse E at Hartsfield Airport, Georgia International Convention Center, and AmericasMart in Atlanta.

1996—2002 – Olympics and More

Henry completed numerous projects related to the 1996 Summer Olympics including installing score boards at all of their venues. We also did multiple large projects for Coca-Cola, Philips Arena and Cobb Galleria in this period.

2003 – New Markets

We had already been doing the occasional project with façade treatment or ornamental metal components but this is when we began actively expanding into these markets. This is the point where we stopped being primarily a sign company. To reflect this larger mission, we changed our name to “Henry Incorporated.”

2006 – 50th Anniversary

In fifty years we had grown from one man and a pickup truck to a major regional player. Our annual revenues were approaching ten million dollars and we were providing jobs to nearly one hundred of the best men and women in the industry.

2008 – Riding the Storm Out

Although the economy as a whole, and the construction industry in particular, had some rough years, Henry adapted well to the changing conditions. We expanded our workforce while others were laying off and had some of our most successful years to date.

2012 – Third Generation

Ric’s son, Grant Henry, had been an integral part of the team since the beginning of his professional career. In 2012 he was appointed COO and took over day to day operations of the company his Grandfather founded.

2013 – Branching Out

Since the beginning we have progressively moved into larger and larger facilities as we have grown. For the first time it made more sense to open a second facility. By moving several of our larger projects into a new 75,000 square foot building we were able to expand our manufacturing space without disturbing the progress of other projects already underway.

2015 – Big Year

We wrapped up several major projects in 2015. Ponce City Market in Atlanta; Wind Creek Casino, Alabama; Exxon Mobile Campus in Houston, TX; Brickell City Center in Miami; Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Orlando and Various Façade Treatment Projects in South Florida.

2016 – Sharing Expertise

Noticing that poor planning led to a tendency for the most interesting architectural scope to be deleted mid-project, we established a Design Assist Division focusing on façade treatments and ornamental metals. We knew that our expertise would allow architects and owners to achieve more of the project they wanted, within the constraints of the budget they had to work with.

2017 – Henry Publishing

Our first edition of Building Signatures was released. More than a portfolio, this book also includes field notes, and advice and inspiration for industry insiders.

2018 – Looking Forward

Seeing that our two existing facilities will not allow for the scale of projects coming up, we have now purchased an additional 33,000 square foot building. This third location will be set up specifically for façade treatment fabrication.
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Henry’s pre-construction and project management personnel are industry veterans who have the experience to recognize potential bottlenecks and challenges well in advance and to navigate successfully around them. Their extensive knowledge of materials and methods, rules and regulations and structural requirements allow them to quickly, even preemptively, find solutions where less committed or less experienced companies would struggle or fail.

Equipped with sophisticated data tracking and visualization, custom-built estimating, critical path scheduling, as well as markup and collaboration software, these teams are well armed for projects of almost any scale.

Henry’s engineering department includes expert CAD draftsmen, 3D modelers, illustrators, artists and software developers as well as a select group of trusted outside structural and civil engineers. Using industry standard products such as AutoCAD, Solidworks, the Adobe and Corel families of products and many others, there is very little they are not able to design. Cutting edge workstations and multiply redundant on and off-site backup ensure efficient work flows and impeccable data security.

Our production department is made up of expert craftsmen of multiple trades, most of whom have decades of experience in their fields. The team includes certified welders and other metal workers, CAM operators, large-scale graphics and print experts, wiring and lighting specialists, assembly workers, even a neon tube bender.

Henry’s manufacturing space occupies over 75,000 square feet of shop floor, as well as extensive outdoor space for large-scale manufacturing and pre-assembly. Our crews do work in almost every conceivable building material from aluminum to glass, ACM, steel, wood, laminates, acrylic etc. Additionally, our repertoire includes most lighting methods: LED, fluorescent, incandescent, HID, neon, as well as various digital technologies

Because we work in so many materials we also have a wide variety of equipment. In addition to the huge hydraulic press brake, shears and roll formers you could predict, we also operate 6’ x 12’ & 6’ x 20’ CNC router tables, a 60” full color digital printer, and of course band and table saws, drill presses, an iron worker, gantry hoists, welders, plasma cutter, torches, various lifts and dollies etc. There is little work we would turn away for lack of the capability to build it, especially since we have long-term relationships with trusted specialty vendors who can fill the few gaps in our own capabilities.

Our finishing personnel are specialists in multiple paint systems to handle the wide variety of materials that roll through our spray booths. They can produce anything from highly textured faux stucco, stone and wood to automotive quality finishes. Our internet connected computerized paint matching system ensures that, whatever the finish, the color is always spot on.

Like the rest of our operation, our installation department is the envy of our peers. We have the industry’s largest in-house installation fleet in the Southeast, fielding vehicles every day ranging from standard pickup trucks to 17-ton cranes. Our crews include certified welders and riggers, service and lighting experts, and the best field management personnel anywhere.