If you know anything about Capital StreetScapes and the products we sell, then you’re aware that high-grade, recyclable aluminum is our thing. All of the parts we market are made from aluminum that’s been cast, extruded or cut from sheets to create the decorative sign frames, ornamental sign poles and street and wayfinding signs that our customers want. Aluminum’s lightweight, durable, resistant to nature’s forces and reasonably priced.

The Ford Motor Company knows that too, and they’ve recently tested how lightweight aluminum alloys incorporated into their F-150 truck bodies would hold up under the rigors that your typical pickup truck is exposed to. And what happened? They’ve taken to the idea, so much in fact that the 2015 truck they debuted this week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit weighs 700 pounds less than last year’s version.

Big gamble? Maybe, but probably less from a safety and durability standpoint than one of customer perception. Aluminum’s tough stuff despite its relatively low specific weight (ratio of weight to volume of a material) and holds up very well in all sorts of demanding conditions.

So as you’re considering your options for that next ornamental street sign project, think of Capital StreetScapes and our assortment of decorative street and traffic sign products. We may not be as big as Ford, but we know about the advantages of aluminum, and we think it’s a winner.