The Howard Company vs. DSA Signage
If you're comparing DSA Signage, or looking for an alternative, the two partners build similar products but support them differently. DSA is a custom sign manufacturer that specializes in backlit LED light boxes, and they also build digital menu boards, drive-thru signage, and interior branding. The Howard Company designs, builds, installs, and supports their systems in-house, so one team owns the project from the first call to the last service visit. Here's an honest, category-by-category comparison.
Looking for other comparisons? See how Howard stacks up against Palmer Digital Group, WAND Digital and Stratacache on our Why Us page.
The short version
DSA Signage
A custom sign manufacturer whose sweet spot is UL-listed LED light boxes and backlit displays. They also build digital menu boards, drive-thru signage, and interior branding, with in-house signage design and fabrication.
The Howard Company
A signage and branding specialist for more than 75 years, with in-house teams of graphic designers, installation project managers, and digital-support specialists who manage the whole project, from the sales handoff through installation and into day-to-day operation.
The real difference
If you came in comparing DSA or looking for an alternative, the real question is usually less about the sign itself and more about who stands behind the whole project. DSA fabricates excellent custom light boxes. If you also want design, content management, and installation coordinated by one accountable team, that is where Howard fits. Howard works with your existing POS and displays and adds the pieces you are missing.
Last updated: June 26, 2026 Compare for yourself
| The Howard Company | DSA Signage | |
|---|---|---|
| Core model | Storefront systems integrator, with in-house design, project-management, and digital-support teams delivering one coordinated system | Custom sign manufacturer specializing in LED light boxes, digital menu boards, drive-thru signage, and interior branding |
| Products & range | Drive-thru menu boards (DT CHOICE / ECO / FLEX), canopies, clearance bars, speaker posts, indoor menu boards, kiosks, exterior signs, branding & POP | Drive-thru menu boards, canopies, clearance bars, speaker posts, light boxes, digital menu boards, interior & exterior signage |
| Displays & software | LG & Samsung displays plus a best-fit CMS (Navori, Neon, NanoNation) and proprietary OCS for the drive-thru, with a digital-support team | Builds digital menu boards; sells LG & Samsung commercial displays |
| Design & creative | In-house graphic-design team for menu engineering and branding, working as part of the full project team | In-house signage design and fabrication |
| Project management & install | In-house install project managers coordinate the project from handoff through installation and into live operation; crews hired and managed by Howard; audio & headset communications integrated | Designs and fabricates to order |
| Build & durability | 3/16 to 5/16 inch structural steel rated to 180 MPH wind loads, welded to AWS D1.1, finished with an industrial powder coat that lasts 15 to 20+ years, and built on stainless steel fasteners with NEMA 4 and 4X enclosures where it counts. Engineered and built in-house. See the full build standard | Lightweight aluminum-frame light boxes, UL-listed LED (up to about 100,000 hours), made to order |
| Lead time | Built in-house, about 5 to 6 weeks typically, including design and engineering, from order to ship | Standard light box and drive-thru units ship in as little as 3 weeks; fully custom or highly engineered projects run 6 weeks or longer |
| Install & coverage | Nationwide installation, with in-house project managers and crews hired and managed by Howard | Installed through a network of third-party partners, with DSA project-management oversight |
| Warranty | Outdoor products 1 year, indoor products 2 years, with white-glove warranty coverage available; engineered for a 15 to 20+ year service life | 2 years on products (digital components follow the display maker's warranty); Value line 1 year |
| Support & SLA | Dedicated digital-support team with a published SLA: 1-hour response for critical and high issues, 8 hours moderate, 24 hours low, 8AM to 5PM Central with 24/7 intake | Manufacturer guarantee with free defect repair; no published response-time SLA |
| Experience | More than 75 years; 100% employee-owned | Over 50 years |
| Best fit for | Brands that want one accountable partner for the whole storefront, from handoff to live operation | Buyers who want a custom-fabricated light box or sign |
When DSA might be the better fit
DSA does fabrication, and backlit LED light boxes are their sweet spot. If your project is mainly a custom-built light box or sign, DSA's manufacturing is a strong choice.
When The Howard Company is the better fit
- You want an in-house graphic-design team shaping your menu and branding as part of the project.
- You want install project managers who plan, schedule, and oversee the on-site work, with crews hired and managed by Howard.
- You want a digital-support team for content management and keeping screens running after launch.
- You want one partner accountable from the sales handoff through install and into day-to-day operation.
Looking for a Branding, Signage, and Technology vendor?
Drive-thru, content, branding, and managed installation.
"One company for the whole project: hardware, software, install, training, and ongoing support through one team. No vendor finger-pointing when something needs attention."
Dale Boyer
Community Bank President, Peoples Bank & Trust
What The Howard Company Actually Does
Does The Howard Company have its own software?
Being software-agnostic is the strategy, not a gap. Instead of welding every customer to one platform, Howard matches the right content management system to your POS, your customization needs, and how hands-on your team wants to be, choosing from proven platforms such as Navori, Nanonation, and Neon. And where it matters most, in the drive-thru, Howard builds proprietary software: the OCS Order Confirmation System, which integrates with major POS platforms and Voice AI ordering tools so guests can see, and correct, their order before it's made. A dedicated digital-support team keeps that content current after launch.
Who manages the project from start to finish?
Howard does, end-to-end. The same company keeps in-house teams of graphic designers, installation project managers, and digital-support specialists, so once a sale is handed off, one team carries it through artwork, fabrication, scheduling, installation, and into live operation. Howard hires and manages the install crews, so coordination and accountability when something needs attention, stays with one partner instead of landing on you.
Does The Howard Company offer more than hardware?
Yes. Howard is a systems integrator: a consultative approach to defining the right solution, then single-point responsibility for delivering a working system, including graphic design and menu engineering, content management, proprietary order-confirmation software, interior branding, Voice AI integrations, audio and headset communications, self-ordering kiosks, printed-graphics fulfillment, and managed installation. A 100% employee-owned manufacturer with more than 75 years in business, Howard has spent that time connecting brands with their customers, and is built to stand behind that equipment for its full service life.
How much do The Howard Company's systems cost?
Cost depends on how many lanes or screens you are equipping, the displays and enclosures you choose, and whether you add content management, branding, and managed installation. Because Howard delivers the whole system under one contract, you are pricing one coordinated project instead of stitching together a sign maker, a software vendor, and an installer. Get a ballpark in minutes with the Drive-Thru Price Estimator or the Indoor Menu Board Price Estimator.
Looking for a one-stop signage shop?
Digital, static, drive-thru, branding, and installation — one partner, one contract, one project manager.
Talk with The Howard Company