The famous neon Domino Sugar sign in Baltimore was removed and replaced with SloanLED FlexiBRITE tube lighting in Citrus Orange. Original story on Sign Builder Illustrated.
(Main Photo: Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
On the 4th of July, a crowd gathered eagerly to await the relighting of the iconic Domino Sugar sign. The sign, which was first lit in 1951, was removed in February for a refurb.
After being exposed to the elements for many years, the sign was old. And run down. Not only did it receive a refresh from Gable sign company in Baltimore, but the iconic neon lighting for the sign was replaced with the much more environmentally friendly and efficient LED lighting. LEDs reduce energy usage and carbon emission, and reduce maintenance costs. Birds and high winds constantly broke the neon tubing, but the much more durable LED tubing won't face the same challenges.
The sign will now be enjoyed once more in all its glory. The SloanLED FlexiBRITE Citrus Orange tube lighting matched almost perfectly to the original orange-red neon, and reflects its glow over the Patapsco River once again.
The original steel letters were replaced with exact replicas made of aluminum, a much lighter material. This made the lifting and installation of the letters much easier, especially since the letters were hauled up in a freight elevator.
Photos: Out With The Old, in With The New
Fabrication and Installation
Fabricating the "O" with SloanLED FlexiBRITE 
Fabricating the "r" with SloanLED FlexiBRITE 
Wheeling letters into freight elevator 
Final letter "S" being installed 
"O" being installed 
"M" being installed 
Sign nears completion
(Photos: Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)
Learn more about the history of the iconic Domino Sugar sign and view the photo gallery of the relighting from the Baltimore Sun.
SloanLED FlexiBRITE
Add a neon look to any LED sign with SloanLED's FlexiBRITE flexible LED lighting solution. It is field bendable making it easy to create an endless array of profiles, contours, and patterns on the fly.
FlexiBRITE is bright at night and retains its color hue during the day. It is ideal for exterior and interior lighting applications such as borders and accent stripes. Or like the Domino Sugar sign- to give the look of neon without the cost and maintenance.
- NEW Classic colors retain hue in daytime
- Extremely flexible LED tubing
- Optically modified silicone extrusion: UV stable, hydrocarbon insensitive, and non fading
- Convenient mounting clips and mounting tracks
- Can be cut in the field
- 4 bright neon colors: Ruby Red, Emerald Green, Citrus Orange, and Bromo Blue.
Read more: SloanLED lighting solutions.
Conclusion
The Domino Sugar neon sign needed to be replaced, and Gable sign company chose SloanLED FlexiBRITE lighting. The Citrus Orange color was an almost perfect match, and the LED lights give the appearance of neon. The people of Baltimore know their sign and they would know the difference.
Fortunately, the new sign was lit to much cheering on July 4, as the new sign almost perfectly resembled the old. The hard-working sign fabricators and installers were able to pull it off. And this is just another big job successfully completed with SloanLED, the company that "brightens your brands".