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SVP HISTORY
The existence of SVP Neon Equipment is the result of the efforts of
many people. The contributions of various employees and associates
over the years are without question significant. Most notable of these
is the company founder, Mark Snyder. The long history of the company
has naturally always been closely associated with Mark. It is for this
reason that it is appropriate, and unavoidable, to interlink the
history of the company with him personally.
• The beginning
• The quest for knowledge
• Looking for greener grass
• Doing something worthwhile
• The first O-ring stopcock neon
manifold
• Commercial availability
• Proof positive
• The birth of an Industry leader
• Doing the right thing
• Moving on…
THE BEGINNING
Mark has been involved in the sign business to one extent or another
since grade school when he worked for his father’s sign company,
Snyder Signs, Inc. in Jamestown, NY. At first it was part time work
after school and on weekends and often full time during the summer
months. Eventually it became a full time job year-round.
In 1977, Mark took an interest in the craft of neon glassblowing. With
the encouragement of his uncle, Bernard Snyder, Mark attended and
graduated from one of the few Neon Schools of the time: Paige’s Neon
School in Buffalo, NY. With the help of his uncle and sister Maggie,
following his training Mark started a small wholesale neon business in
nearby Lakewood, NY called Southern Tier Neon (STN).
At the time there was little fact-based technical information
available on the craft of neon that would serve to enhance the quality
of the company’s products. Nor was there much information on neon
equipment, particularly processing equipment. “Factory made” equipment
such as Pyrex manifolds, diffusion pumps and such that are taken for
granted by today’s neon industry were non-existent.
THE QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE
The lack of adequate equipment and information was frustrating and
potentially detrimental to the advancement of the company. Determined
to find out everything he could about the craft, Mark began gathering
information wherever small bits of knowledge could be found on every
aspect of the craft and why things were done the way they were. More
importantly, why things were not done a certain way. Many times the
quest for knowledge led to dead ends. The answer “That’s just how it’s
done” in response to questions was all too common – and
unsatisfactory. Perseverance was essential until questions were
answered satisfactorily with factual information and a scientific
basis to support the information obtained.
LOOKING FOR GREENER GRASS
In 1979, desiring a warmer climate in which to practice his craft,
expand his knowledge of it and expand the company, Mark relocated the
company to Columbia, SC. After the move, Mark continued his quest for
more information and knowledge with the desire to do more with his
skills.
During the first year of the new business venture, Mark’s interest in
scientific glassblowing and the desire to learn more about the
discipline led him to the scientific glassblower at the University of
South Carolina, William E. Caldwell. As it happened Bill had an
interest in neon. The two began exchanging information and ideas and
became good friends.
The friendship and resulting exposure to the Physical Sciences
Compound at USC gave Mark access to a lot of new information,
products, ideas, techniques and resources that were previously beyond
his reach. Much of this would become the basis for his journey into
the neon equipment business.
During this time period the company as a whole also drew on the
extensive knowledge of Mark’s brother, Dr. B. Stewart Snyder III, who
was formerly the head mechanical engineer and designer in charge of
the Research & Development Department at AVM, a company in Florence,
SC that designed and manufactured vacuum motors, actuators and other
products for the automotive industry.
DOING SOMETHING WORTHWHILE
At the time, the exchange of information between the scientific
glassblowing community, physical sciences and the neon industry, which
would seem to be a natural relationship, was almost unheard of.
Realizing that this was not the case during the birth of neon, as
scientists were the ones who first created the industry, Mark and Bill
made a concerted effort to once again meld the disciplines for the
betterment of the two industries. They both encouraged others in their
respective industries to have an open exchange of dialog and
information with their counterparts. To a large degree this has been a
successful effort as each respective industry has benefited from the
exchange of information and ideas, the neon industry more so than the
scientific glassblowing industry.
THE FIRST O-RING STOPCOCK NEON MANIFOLD
By 1980 several things had become very clear: Virtually all self-made
manifolds were relatively small diameter tubing, which restricts
pumping speed. Neon shops spent a lot of time re-greasing the
ground-joint greased stopcocks on their manifold systems, which
resulted in lost production time. The greased stopcocks were prone to
leaking creating more downtime and lost production. Cleaning the
manifold system required it to be cut apart before cleaning and welded
back together afterward, which meant more down-time. Due to the hassle
involved in cleaning a self-made greased stopcock manifold system it
was seldom done, which directly related to the quality of the finished
product.
In 1980, tired of the maintenance required for his own greased
stopcock manifold system, Mark decided to put his eclectic knowledge
to use and began a profound project that would change the neon
industry. Combining his interest in scientific glassblowing,
creative nature and desire to improve the neon industry on a large
scale, Mark designed the first modular component, Pyrex glass and
O-ring stopcock manifold for neon use.
COMMERCIAL AVAILABILITY
In 1981 Mark sold three of these systems and installed them at one of
the leading POP neon sign manufacturers in the U.S. The Trademark name
Ultra-Vac® Vacuum System was assigned to these as well as subsequent
systems manufactured by STN. In contrast to the usual self-made lead
glass manifolds, these systems were much larger diameter and included
a significantly improved glass diffusion pump, which greatly improved
pumping speed and ultimate vacuum compared to the old-style
“aspirator”. The Ultra-Vac® Vacuum System also included a much
improved high accuracy thermopile vacuum gauge, which was a world
apart from the old battery operated Pirani vacuum gauges of the 1950’s
and 60’s.
Over the years improvements were made to the Ultra-Vac® Vacuum System,
including upgraded components and design refinements. During this time
period, in particular the late 1980’s, Mark was hired as an
independent consultant through a joint venture between Masonlite and
Transco to be their advisor and liaison to neon shops throughout North
America.
PROOF POSITIVE
In 1986 following the installation and successful demonstration of two
Ultra-Vac® Vacuum Systems at Transco’s then parent company, Colite
Industries, Mark approached Transco with the idea of Transco offering
the Ultra-Vac® Vacuum System to the neon industry through their
distribution network. Transco agreed to the proposal and purchased
their first Ultra-Vac® Vacuum System from STN in 1987. It became quite
advantageous for Transco to be the first and only tubing and electrode
supplier in North America to offer a ready-made Pyrex manifold system.
Insofar that in 1990 Transco began producing copies of manifold
systems previously purchased from STN.
THE BIRTH OF AN INDUSTRY LEADER
The late 1980’s saw an increasing demand for neon people due to the
revival of the craft. As a result there was also a rebirth of neon
schools. Along with the resurgence of neon and the influx of new neon
fabricators into the sign community came the need for new shop
equipment. Mark realized the need for a company strictly devoted to
supplying quality, state-of-the-art neon equipment to the market. In
1989 Mark formed a company dedicated to this end and one which is now
synonymous with Pyrex manifolds, diffusion pumps and related
equipment: Precision Neon Laboratories, often referred to as just
“Precision” or “PNL”.
PNL offered a complete line of neon processing equipment including an
entirely new manifold design – a design that many competitors’
products closely resemble even today. Many PNL items were specifically
designed for the intended purpose. Most notable of these were the
Pyrex glass manifolds, diffusion pumps and related components.
Processing instruments such as temperature and vacuum gauges were
proprietary as well. These items were not strictly an adaptation of
parts and pieces intended for other industries, as is often the case,
but designed with the high voltage internal bombarding method in mind.
Soon the staff at PNL was working long hours to keep up with the
demand for their products. The time Mark had to devote to glasswork
was increasingly hard to find, so a full time scientific glassblower
was hired for the growing company and additional shop equipment was
purchased to better facilitate in-house glass fabrication. By doing
so, PNL became the only neon equipment manufacturer able to truthfully
make the claim that their manifolds, diffusion pumps and all related
glassware was manufactured in-house, a claim that still holds true
today at SVP Neon Equipment.
DOING THE RIGHT THING
In 1994, feeling that the neon industry was back on the right track
overall, and with the advent of several companies following his lead
and offering similar equipment, Mark decided to direct his efforts
more toward the fabrication of scientific glassware and specialty
vacuum and ionization tubes. However, not to abandon his roots and to
keep his hand in neon work, a fully functional neon plant was
maintained and used on a semi-regular basis to do overflow work for
other neon shops in the area.
In September of that year Precision Neon Laboratories was sold to Daco
Neon Equipment. The sale included all of Mark’s equipment designs,
which Daco continues to use today with the moniker “Precision” to
distinguish their products.
After the sale of PNL, the company name was changed to Silica Vacuum
Products (SVP) to better suite the intended market. SVP continued to
manufacturer all of Daco’s Pyrex manifolds, diffusion pumps and
related glassware, and Mark continued to handle most of the technical
aspects, consultation duties and troubleshoot customer problems
relative to Daco’s equipment line. This continued until mid 1997. At
that time SVP decided it was not in their best interest to continue
the relationship.
MOVING ON…
Over the next few years it became apparent that the quality reputation
that PNL had worked hard to achieve for the Precision name was slowly
deteriorating in the market place. Having fulfilled any contractual
obligations from the sale of PNL, Mark decided it was time to present
the neon industry with quality equipment at an affordable price once
again – the vision that had originally been the cornerstone of
Precision Neon Laboratories. To this end SVP Neon Equipment was
formed.
Today at SVP Neon Equipment the traditions that PNL was founded on
continue: quality and affordability are number one; customer service
is second to none; all glassware is still manufactured in-house to
maintain a higher level of quality control than our competitors can
offer; new innovative ideas and concepts are always considered and are
implemented when it is believed to be beneficial to the neon industry
to do so. And because Mark still bends neon at times and still
processes the units he makes, the method of thinking is always with
the real-world neon shop and the people who work in them in mind.
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