Ernest Florentino opened his shop in 2007, five years after coming to Canada from the Philippines. Photos courtesy Signs Den Graphics Inc.
By Carly McHugh
Strolling down the streets of Port Credit in Mississauga, Ont., one is met with an abundance of sharp and captivating dimensional signs, which grace and enhance the neighbourhood’s diverse storefronts. The mind behind these projects is Ernest Florentino, the founder and owner of Signs Den Graphics Inc.
Florentino opened his shop in 2007, five years after coming to Canada from the Philippines and laying the foundation for the knowledge and skill he is known for today. He takes pride in his down-to-earth approach with his customers, as well as his commitment to laser-accurate detail and execution of their signage designs.
Sign Media Canada spoke with Florentino about the history of Signs Den, along with its recent projects and specialties, and his plans for the shop’s future.
Sign Media Canada (SMC): What is the history of your shop?
Ernest Florentino (EF): When I first arrived in Canada from the Philippines in 2002, I had no clue that I would eventually own and run a sign business. I was a mechanical engineer, who had gained experience working in sales.
One of my first jobs here was as a signs division manager for an architectural company in Fort Erie, Ont. While I was there, I started exploring signs in general and focused on quality signs for home builders.
Later, I was employed by a company in Brampton, Ont., where I learned all about laser cutting and engraving.
In 2007, I founded Signs Den, which helped me expand my knowledge of digital printing.
Together, all those experiences seemed to complete the puzzle that was running my own sign and printing company.
Signs Den is a place where signs are made with seriousness, talent, experience, and skills, resulting in a quality finished product. I also wanted the name to signify being the king of the industry. The lion logo is meant to show that dominance.
SMC: What makes your company unique?
EF: I specialize in knowing what will look best for my customers’ needs, based on my 20-plus years in the industry. My experience ranges from sandblasted concrete, stone, and porcelain residential signs to laser-cut, engraved, and digitally printed commercial signs.
Over the years, I’ve become more attracted to the look of laser-cut acrylic and seen the vast varieties of signs I can craft using my creativity. My team is also well-versed on the different types and qualities of print media. Our use and knowledge of design and editing software helps us stand out from the rest, as it is very critical to show how a sign looks on paper before it becomes a reality.
The 69.6-m2 (750-sf) shop is located on Lakeshore Road East in Port Credit, Mississauga.
It’s also my passion to make good-looking signs. Travelling throughout Canada, the U.S., and Asia, we get to see what looks good and bad. I take pictures of great signs whenever I travel. However, a lot of the signs I see locally are made “wrong,” whether it’s wrong choice of font, spacing, colours, materials, size, placement, or shadows.
Another key aspect that makes Signs Den unique is our approach to customers. We treat each customer on a down-to-earth level, where they can easily air out what they want, talk to us in layman’s terms, and explain things with simplicity. We also inject humour into our conversations, to help lighten up the relationship. We’ve been praised and admired for our ability to be personable, and to some extent, customers don’t mind paying extra if they feel their needs are met. Our belief is to serve five customers with undivided attention, rather than serve 10 customers with little attention.
SMC: How large is your facility?
EF: Located on Lakeshore Road East in Mississauga, Signs Den is a total of 69.6 m2 (750 sf). It’s situated in Port Credit, a quaint city within a city with a variety of specialty shops, including bakeries, cake shops, bubble tea shops, pizza houses, Greek restaurants, jewellery stores, house furnishing shops, dentists, denture clinics, and pet shops. Passing through the area, I can point out the signs we made, and confidently say they look better than the signs we did not make.
