Dealerships Reflect Brand Vision With Alucobond® Material

As part of the new brand vision making Nissan a global force in the automotive marketplace, Nissan dealerships throughout North America are being updated.

Alucobond Material is an upfront presence in that change. Two sheets of .020″ aluminum bonded to a thermoplastic core, Alucobond Material is an aluminum composite material (ACM) found increasingly in automotive dealerships – due to the combination of properties that make it a high-performance material with an image that relates well to the dealership environment.

“The Nissan program, launched in 2002, will continue to roll out over the next few years,” says Jack Finn, national sales manager, corporate identity, for 3A Composites USA Inc., which manufactures Alucobond Material. “The program involves new signage and new entryway architecture for approximately 1,100 dealerships, as well as more extensive building changes for many of the dealerships.”

ABC Nissan, a recently completed deal ership in the Phoenix, Arizona area, is a good example of what can happen at a typical Nissan dealership, according to Finn. That project involves approximately 8,000 sq. ft. of Alucobond Material, 4mm thickness, in colors of Sunrise Silver and Nissan Red.

“The signage by ImagePoint and the Nissan Red entryway are elements common to all dealerships,” says Finn. “Other optional elements involve the balance of the building. The program can be adapted to new or existing dealerships.”

The entrance material for this project was designed, fabricated and installed by Sobotec Ltd., with attachment by the Sobotec SL2000 rainscreen system, though attachment on dealerships may be through wet or dry system. “Fabricators of the Alucobond Material in the Nissan building program include many regional and national distributor/fabricators, as well as Sobotec Ltd. for all the entrance elements.” says Finn. Alucobond Material for the balance of the ABC Nissan building was provided by Elward Construction Co.,Tempe, Arizona.

Used worldwide on virtually every type of commercial structure, state-of-the-art Alucobond cladding material was carefully chosen to be part of Nissan’s new brand vision at its dealerships. The material’s appearance relates to the identity and brand strategy recommendations of Lippincott Mercer, as well as the architectural recommendations of Gensler, and the ImagePoint signage. Turner & Townsend provides construction management/consulting implementation throughout seven different regions.

“Signage and architecture meet in corporate identity,” says David Meacham, marketing manager for 3A Composites USA Inc. “That corporate identity is most effective when everyone involved, including the material manufacturers, work together to support a strong brand vision.”

Designers of many brands of automotive dealerships have turned to Alucobond Material for its sleek, “high-tech” look, as well as its compatibility with other materials. The ACM product remains visually flat, yet fabricates easily into crisp corners and sweeping curves. Alucobond Material has been used worldwide on more than 50,000 commercial buildings. The product has been manufactured in North America for 25 years by the Benton, Kentucky plant of 3A Composites USA Inc.