With a diverse team of industry professionals, Pride Signs is equipped to provide their expertise through every step of each project. Photos courtesy Pride Signs
By Carly McHugh
Pride Signs came from humble beginnings, as a one-man operation out of a small facility in Cambridge, Ont. Now, after more than 35 years in the industry, the company has evolved to become a one-stop signage powerhouse, with more than 150 employees serving clients in both Canada and the U.S.
Sign Media Canada spoke with the shop’s senior graphic designer and marketing specialist, Brian Hardy, about the history of Pride Signs, as well as its recent projects and specialties, and plans for future growth.
Sign Media Canada (SMC): What is the history of the shop?
Brian Hardy (BH): Pride Signs was founded in 1986 by Brad Hillis. Brad wanted to build a business to be proud of, and after researching potential names, he had two final options: Signs by Pride and Pride Signs. There was no Pride Signs registered in Canada or the U.S. at the time, so the rest is history. Located in Cambridge, the shop offers permitting, graphic design, structural design, professional engineering, manufacturing, transportation, logistics, installation, and service.
SMC: What makes the company unique?
BH: Pride Signs has been strategically configured to handle complex challenges. Our diverse team of sign professionals is ready to provide expertise throughout every step of the process. The shop is also located in a prosperous, highly industrialized area of Canada. It is well connected to regional, national, and international markets by road, rail, air, and water services, ensuring quick, convenient accessibility to all North American markets.
SMC: How large is the facility?
BH: Pride Signs began existence in a 222.9-m2 (2,400-sf) facility and has moved six times to accommodate its growth. The company currently resides in an advanced manufacturing facility, spanning more than 8,361 m2 (90,000 sf), and employs approximately 160 team members operating on multiple shifts. The facility originally started at 7,432.2 m2 (80,000 sf), then 1,393.5 m2 (15,000 sf) was added as Pride Signs expanded into the supply of aluminum composite material (ACM). The space allows us to maintain raw material inventory such as aluminum sheets and extrusions, hollow structural section (HSS) tubing, LEDs, paint, hardware, and custom and standard vinyl, pre-painted aluminum coil, and ACM sheets, to meet tight project timelines and scale up to accommodate client growth models.
SMC: What type of signage does the shop primarily install?
Today, Pride Signs operates out of an 8,825.7-m2 (95,000-sf) facility, serving a variety of businesses throughout North America.
BH: Pride Signs can manufacture, distribute, and install a high volume of standard and custom exterior illuminated signage, including channel letters, pylons, ground signs, directional signs, wayfinding signage, fascia boxes, wall signs, vinyl graphics, ACM architectural solutions, and outdoor digital menu boards.
SMC: What type of projects have you been working on recently?
BH: While much of our focus is on the execution of large, national programs with tight deadlines and stringent brand guidelines, we’ve also enjoyed working on landmark signs for the Calgary Stampede, El Mocambo in Toronto, and most recently, Kineto Theatre in Forest, Ont. That project was the 2023 winner in the Building Signs category of Sign Media Canada’s National Sign Competition.
SMC: How much of the sign installation process is handled in-house?
BH: Pride Signs provides installation management services for locations throughout North America. For projects within three hours of our facility, we will perform installations with our own crews and five crane trucks. When not self-performing, we rely on an extensive list of prequalified subcontract installation crews across North America. This is the result of our prior experience with these companies, including verification of safety accreditation, the necessary equipment, competitive timelines and pricing, references, and the quality and timely installation of previous signage. Additionally, we continue to develop new prospective subcontract installation crews through our network of signage partners and involvement in various industry associations.
