How does The Howard Company compare to Palmer Digital Group for QSR digital signage?

The Howard Company is a single-source manufacturer and systems integrator that handles digital menu boards, drive-thru systems, static signage, interior branding, and weatherized enclosures under one contract. Palmer Digital Group is a display-focused vendor that offers turnkey digital menu boards through a reseller network with a proprietary cloud CMS, but relies on third-party partners for installation, drive-thru hardware, and does not provide branding or merchandising services.

Is The Howard Company just a consulting firm?

No. The Howard Company is a systems integrator, not a consulting firm. They take a consultative approach to defining the best solution, then take single-point responsibility for delivering a working system. Behind that is a 100% employee-owned manufacturer founded in 1950 in Brookfield, Wisconsin, engineering and building weatherized enclosures, canopies, clearance bars, speaker posts, and signage in-house, paired with commercial displays from LG and Samsung.

Does The Howard Company lock you into a single software platform?

No. The Howard Company is software-agnostic, selecting the best-fit CMS for each customer from platforms including Navori, Neon, and NanoNation, plus Howard's proprietary OCS for drive-thru. Your software can evolve without replacing your hardware.

Does Palmer Digital Group offer content management software for digital menu boards?

Yes. Palmer Digital Group offers a proprietary cloud-based CMS called Paladin for managing digital menu board content. However, Paladin is primarily designed for their own display hardware and kiosk enclosures. Customers who need drive-thru audio, weatherized outdoor hardware, or full-store branding will need to source those components separately and manage multiple vendors and installation timelines on their own.

Which company handles drive-thru audio and communications, Howard or Palmer?

The Howard Company manufactures complete drive-thru systems in-house, including weatherized enclosures, canopies, clearance bars, speaker posts, and integrated audio and headset communications, all under one contract. Palmer Digital Group offers mounting structures and optional accessories such as clearance bars and speaker/mic pedestals, but integrating audio and communications requires the customer to manage multiple vendors and coordinate installation separately.

Does The Howard Company provide branding and merchandising for QSR restaurants?

Yes. The Howard Company provides full interior and exterior branding and merchandising services, outfitting the entire storefront beyond just the digital screens. Palmer Digital Group offers indoor kiosk enclosures and display mounts but does not provide branding, decor, or merchandising services.

Who manages installation when deploying digital menu boards across multiple locations?

The Howard Company takes single-point responsibility for the full process from site survey to final installation, including managing all subcontractors. With Palmer Digital Group, installation is available, but the customer is responsible for coordinating displays, CMS, and enclosures from separate sources before installation can begin.

Does The Howard Company make more than static signage?

Yes. The Howard Company offers a full range of signage and storefront solutions, including digital menu boards, drive-thru systems, static signage, interior branding, and multi-unit rollouts. It is a 100% employee-owned manufacturer that engineers and builds weatherized enclosures, canopies, clearance bars, speaker posts, and commercial displays in-house.

What type of QSR operator is The Howard Company best suited for?

The Howard Company is best suited for QSR and fast-casual brands that want a single accountable partner for their entire storefront, including digital menu boards, drive-thru systems, static signage, interior branding, and multi-unit rollouts. It is also a strong fit for operators rolling out across multiple locations who need consistent project management and weatherized hardware.

What type of QSR operator is Palmer Digital Group best suited for?

Palmer Digital Group is best suited for operators who are comfortable managing multiple vendors, sourcing commercial displays separately, licensing software independently, and coordinating installation on their own.

The Howard Company vs. DSA Signage: Drive-Thru & Digital 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 skilled custom sign manufacturer whose sweet spot is premium backlit LED light boxes, and they also build digital menu boards, drive-thru signage, and interior branding. The Howard Company is a storefront specialist whose in-house teams carry a project from the sales handoff through installation and into live operation. 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 as well.

	The Howard Company	DSA Signage
Core model	Storefront systems integrator — in-house design, project-management, and digital-support teams deliver one coordinated system	Custom sign manufacturer — LED light boxes are the sweet spot; also 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
Experience	More than 75 years; 100% employee-owned	Over 50 years
Best fit for	Brands that want one accountable partner for the whole storefront — handoff to live operation	Buyers who want a premium, custom-fabricated light box or sign

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.

The Howard Company vs. DSA Signage

The short version

DSA Signage