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Meet Carlos Quiñones of Display America

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Quiñones.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Carlos. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico and at the age of 10, my family moved to Mobile, Alabama. After two years in Alabama my father, who worked for the Army Corps of Engineers, was transferred to Frankfurt, Germany. We lived in Germany for seven years and in 1991 we moved to Atlanta where I began my college career. After obtaining my degree in Marketing from Georgia State University, I was given the opportunity to work at Xibits Atlanta, a trade show display company.

After four years with Xibits as Sales Manager, I was presented with the opportunity to acquire the assets of the company. In 2003 with the support of my family and friends, we successfully formed Display America. We immediately joined the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations to promote and market our business. It was the best decision we made. Since 2004, we have been fortunate to meet many new business partners, customers, mentors and lifelong friends.

Now, Display America has more than 15 years of experience specializing in trade show marketing and exhibit design & production. Our goal is to design and develop a unique exhibit solution that attracts attention, effectively communicates your brand and strategically target new customers. We have grown from a small pop-up display shop to a masterful trade show and exhibit company. We have partnered with brands such as Univision, IHG, CNN, Office Depot, Coca-Cola, Atlanta Falcons, The Swatch Group, Pajunk Medical Systems, H3 Biomedicine, Atlanta Braves and many more.

DA is also very involved in the community and a proud partner of INROADS. The mission of INROADS is to develop and place talented underserved youth in business and industry and prepare them for corporate and community leadership. I have personally been involved with this organization for 5 years as a board member, scholarship committee member, corporate sponsor, mentor and volunteer. Click on this YouTube link to learn more about this organization. https://youtu.be/Gg7mt5hK2YA.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We’ve encountered many challenges and obstacles along the way but nothing we could not overcome. With the support of our partners and affiliates, DA has consistently improved over the years.

In 2012, DA was mentored by UPS through the Georgia Mentor-Protege Connection. We took full advantage of 12 months of advice and help from UPS leaders that focused on inventory control, process management, contracts and procurement. The program helped us improve our processes and build capacity for future growth. We were mentored by certified project managers, inventory specialists and procurement executives and helped us develop process maps, inventory systems and logistics plans.

The GMPC, led by program director Veronica Maldonado, connected big company resources for us small business owners and gave us a chance to build relationships, explore new technologies and learn industry best practices. In 2017, our client partner Office Depot provided support to attend and exhibit at a major procurement conference that put us in front of corporate decision makers and buyers.

Our team works very hard to strengthen our partnerships with local community leaders and corporate sponsors. I am blessed to have such a great team at DA. Access to capital is also very challenging for small businesses like DA. With good credit, persistence and relationships, we were able to secure funding for a new line of credit that allowed us to expand and grow.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Display America, Inc. story. Tell us more about the business.
Mission: When DA first opened nearly two decades ago, we focused on providing tactical support for businesses in need of pop-ups, banners, and booths for exhibits and trade shows. What we found was that our clients who sought to maximize the value and worth of their corporate identity in face-to-face settings needed and deserved more. That’s why DA has evolved from the tactical approach of our early days to become a full-service provider of brand-driven, customer-focused exhibits, events, and experiences that are always strategic, seamless, and simple. As a national exhibition design and events company, we combine over 15 years of exhibit service, manufacturing and trade show marketing expertise with state-of-the-art production techniques and capabilities.

Exhibit Design: DA’s custom exhibit designs are focused on bringing your brand to life with displays and environments built to dazzle attendees and maximize your face-to-face marketing efforts. No matter what your company’s needs, our exhibit designers approach each and every project as an ‘original,’ incorporating a wide range of aluminum extrusions, laminates, fabrics, media and graphics resulting in an exhibit that’s uniquely yours.

Custom Exhibits: From wood to fabrics, steel to alloys, plastics to glass, we create and build exhibits and displays out of all types of materials. These – coupled with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and printing, technology and expert craftsman – results in custom exhibits that are as unique and original as you and your brand.

Asset and Event Logistics Management: As a premier solutions provider for the trade show and event industry, we provide a wide array of services designed to simplify the process and decisions you need to make. In every phase, we work to keep costs down while ensuring your display is taken excellent care of every step of the way. All you need to do is show up and we take care of the rest.

Environmental Stewardship: Our commitment to environmentally conscious practices is at the core of everything we do. In fact, in February 2010, DA and its manufacturing partner, became the first North American company in its class to achieve ISO 14001:2015 certification, recognizing an organization’s high-level commitment to environmental protection.

At Display America, our commitment to the environment is at the forefront of our processes, materials and procedures. We work to minimize our impact on the environment by:
– Producing sound and recyclable display and exhibit solutions.
– Designing custom modular displays that can be reconfigured instead of scrapped.
– Reduction in waste via comprehensive recycling programs and the use of recyclable materials in every display we build.
– Reduction in use of harmful compounds by investing in eco-alternative production processes.
– Partnering with eco-conscious vendors and service providers.

In addition to the company’s environmental efforts, Our manufacturing and production facilities are certified to the ISO 9001:2015 standard for quality management, which specifies requirements for an organization to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products that meet customer needs and aim to improve satisfaction through the effective application of the system.

DA is committed to providing its distributors with the highest quality of products and service in the industry.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Not a whole lot of luck. Just hard work, dedication, determination and discipline.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
MIDO activation at USC, DA Team, Snugpak Team at Outdoor Retailer, Office Depot booth at Medassets

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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