Olathe sign and display company Skyline E3 remakes its own image

Walking into a tradeshow, attendees are immediately confronted by large exhibits and signage letting them know who is displaying their goods and services. Providing those large displays has been the bread and butter for Olathe-based Skyline E3.

The company is owned by Todd Williams and his father, Duane “Duey” Williams.

Q: How would you describe Skyline E3?

For 15 years, the company has been a distributor in the Kansas City area for Skyline Exhibits in Minnesota, helping clients by creating outstanding brand experiences.

“We focus on face-to-face marketing,” said Scott Hanna, vice president of sales and marketing. “We work with companies to help represent their brand visually with anything that is face-to-face with their clients – trade shows, signage, branding, marketing and public relations events, and work environments – lobby signage and design.”

Skyline E3 works with small and large businesses in Kansas and Missouri.

“Our clients are mainly here but we are reaching more outside of the area, as well,” Hanna said.

Q: You recently went through a rebranding. Why and how?

For the past 15 years, the company had focused on the trade show industry using the name of Skyline Displays Heartland.

But as customers began asking for additional services, the company started offering help with customer branding for exhibits, events and work environments, from start to finish. With that came the need to alter Skyline’s own branding.

“It was important that our brand grow with that change,” Hanna said. “We wanted to still be tied to Skyline (in Minnesota) but we had to account for doing much more than trade shows…. We wanted to focus on growing those elements and our brand needed to represent that.”

About nine months ago, Skyline E3 began the rebranding process to its current name to reflect its new area of business.

Skyline E3 did the rebranding work within its own ranks. Among other things, the effort included the company name change, development of a new logo and website, and “overall redefining who we are and how we set ourselves apart...” Hanna said.

The name reflects its continued association with Skyline in Minnesota; the E3 stands for exhibits, events and environments.

The rebranding was rolled out in early January first to current customers through email and then to others.

“Any reaction we have had has been positive, and we have seen an increase for requests for environment projects both from existing and new clients,” Hanna said.

Q: Who’s your competition and how do you counter it?

Hanna said Skyline E3 has a couple of primary competitors in the Kansas City area.

But rather than focus on the competition, Skyline E3 focuses on itself and its clients.

“Over time we have increased our capabilities, providing much more than traditional modular displays,” Hanna said. “And we have always prided ourselves on providing the highest level of service in the industry.”

Being connected with Skyline in Minnesota has provided a competitive advantage for the company, allowing Skyline E3 to network with other Skyline distributors.

“What really sets us apart is how we work with every client to make every experience matter,” Hanna said. “They are trying to impress their clients and so we try to impress upon them that every experience matters. And we have detailed processes we follow to make sure that happens.”

With a new name, Skyline E3 will also be moving into a bigger space in Lenexa, located near I-435 and West 95^th Street. Hanna said the company has been in its Olathe space for 10 years.

This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 9:45 AM with the headline "Olathe sign and display company Skyline E3 remakes its own image."