Since Bender Billboard's inaugural digital board first went live this summer, the company has expanded its typical customer base to include smaller companies and those that need to update their advertisements frequently. Surprisingly enough, Bender is finding that its digital billboard is enabling more "mom and pop" type businesses to actually increase their advertising, even in this struggling economy.

"I've been able to provide some of the smaller businesses in town a way to advertise despite the fact that times are tough right now," explained Bobby Pennell, Bender's owner. "Because digital is changeable with the click of a mouse, and not static like vinyl, I have been able to spread the ad space across several businesses, making the cost per ad much more reasonable. The smaller businesses in town love it!"  

Before going digital, Pennell was well aware of digital billboards, but wanted only the most vibrant and dependable billboard on the market for this prime location. Pennell visited the manufacturing facility of both Watchfire and a competitor, and chose Watchfire.

"The color on Watchfire's board is fabulous and the manufacturing is superb," said Pennell. "The Watchfire billboard has done an amazing job in New Mexico's harsh environment, already having survived two sandstorms with no problems. And the personal attention I received from Watchfire's manufacturing staff all the way up to the very head of the company is unlike anything I've ever experienced in this industry."

Manufactured by Watchfire Digital Outdoor (http://www.watchfiredigitaloutdoor.com), this is the first digital billboard for Bender, which is located in Hobbs, NM. The 19mm 10'x30' billboard is located at one of Hobbs' heaviest traveled intersections, with approximately 110,000 cars passing by it each day. This marks the first billboard installation of any kind in Lea County, New Mexico.

Watchfire Digital Outdoor produces the industry's only 19mm pixel pitch billboard-which packs 768 LEDs into every square foot-and is capable of producing 281 trillion colors, the most in the industry. It is the only manufacturer that fully encapsulates the LED module in a thick bed of silicone gel, which enables the LED boards to operate in extreme weather conditions: more than 180 days completely submerged in water; 60 days in a salt-spray chamber; and temperatures ranging from -40° F to 120° F. In areas where heat and humidity are both high, the silicone gel encapsulation protects the boards from humidity and moisture, greatly improving projected reliability. All Watchfire boards feature unique extruded aluminum cabinetry that comply with 2006 IBC codes and a streamlined electronics design that improves operation and simplifies maintenance. Watchfire's warranty, lead-times, customer support, and no-fee software are considered to be the best in the industry.