Expert Profile: Bryce Carlson

Meet Bryce Carlson, Eastern Iowa Sign Expert

How long have you been with Latitude?

I’ve worked for Latitude for almost 18 years. I met the owner Tom Latimer when one of my college buddies married Tom’s daughter. The projects they worked on always sounded so interesting, so I was really excited when I got a voicemail from Tom one day saying that he needed a new sales rep and wanted to meet with me. And I’ve been selling signs ever since.

What area do you represent?

I live and work in Iowa City, but I work on projects all over Eastern Iowa. I transferred to Iowa City in 2006 because we had a lot of projects going on with the University of Iowa and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) and I wanted to establish myself as a local resource. Instead of having to drive in for meetings or site visits, I can walk there.

What project you are really proud of?

We helped rebrand Carver Hawkeye Arena for the men’s and women’s basketball team, and that project involved a large graphics package. I hadn’t worked on many projects before this with large-format printing and millwork, so it was initially a little out of my wheelhouse. Even though the project had a rushed timeline, our team responded well to the challenge and the results were outstanding. It’s become a showcase piece for other clients who are interested in seeing what we can do with oversized graphics.

What differentiates Latitude?

Open and honest lines of communication. I take pride in being accountable to my clients as well as the fabricators at the plant. For example, we recently helped UIHC with the new children’s hospital. The designers had a great vision for what the signature exterior sign would look like, and I brought in material and fabrication experts from our Grinnell location to brainstorm how we could bring this unique designs into reality. We went through many prototypes, but working together we created something that worked well for the hospital, the architects, and our fabricators.

We don’t promise things we can’t deliver. I think it’s so important to be proactive and have those discussions with clients and architects early in the process so that everyone has a clear understanding of what materials and fabrication methods are needed to achieve the desired look while staying within the budget.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I spend a lot of my free time coaching my son’s Little Hawks baseball team and my daughter’s flag football team. It’s a lot of fun. I’m not a shy or quiet kind of guy, so coaching gives me a good excuse to be shouting on the sidelines or joking around with the players.

If you could go an all-expenses-paid dream vacation, where would you go?

I’d go to Europe. My wife and I went to London for our honeymoon, but I’d love to go back and explore more of Western Europe. I’m a WWII history buff—always watching documentaries and stuff. So if I had all the time and money to do it, I’d love to take my family to experience that history in person.

Have a question for Bryce, or just want to chat sports? Email him at bryce.carlson@latitudesignage.com.