A business built with ‘Pride’

by carly_mchugh | 4 December 2023 11:26 am

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?

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.

SMC: What tools/equipment do you currently use to complete your projects?

BH: Our production team works with state-of-the-art equipment, including computer numerical control (CNC) metal bending and cutting machines, CNC router tables, large CNC brake machines, a digital flatbed printer, a roll-to-roll printer, paint and bake booths for automotive-quality paint finishes and colour matches, CNC letter formers, vacuum formers, digital printers, and RollsRoller flatbed applicators.

SMC: What are some of the steps involved in your planning process?

BH: Pride Signs uses an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. This software allows us to link all major functions and focus on customer satisfaction. The planning process begins with customers and understanding their brand and plans. A capacity planning module within the ERP system maintains an on-hand inventory of raw material, ensuring the lead time is virtually eliminated, and we can build to order with short cycle times. With cutting-edge project and production management features, Pride Signs can plan and track every step, from initial order to delivery of the final product. The software also allows us to leverage customer relationship management (CRM), sales tracking, forecasting, and analytics to better serve our client base.

SMC: How is technology changing the business?

BH: Pride Signs is an innovator in the sign industry, with “sign solutions” as a key component of our strategic mission statement. We understand business and technology develop at an accelerating pace. To ensure we are at the forefront of this activity, we have an innovation council that meets monthly to discuss future opportunities, using ideas from inside and outside of the sign industry. These innovations range from product to process and tools, all focused on the needs of our clients. In some cases, we investigate new potential disruptive technologies, and in others, we implement iterative innovation such as improved process flow practices. Our foundation is built upon innovation and that tradition continues today. Through constant communication with our customer base and keeping a close eye on the industry, we understand the pain points and use these as an opportunity to improve. With a focus on research and development, Pride Signs works hard to remain on the leading edge, providing our customers with the solutions they need to maintain success. 

SMC: What is the key to staying successful in the sign industry?

BH: Nowadays, most of the top-performing sign shops offer a full-service experience, meaning they provide all the products and services needed to complete the job in-house. This “one-stop shop” model saves clients time; streamlines the permitting, design, manufacturing, and install processes; and saves clients money along the way.

SMC: What are your future plans for the growth of the business?

BH: The future plans for Pride Signs can be found in our vision statement, “To build a great, enduring, evolving sign solution company that is the leader in the industry.”

By continuing to live our values of passion, recognition, innovation, dedication, and empowerment, Pride Signs continues to stay focused on our team, our clients, and our community.

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/a-business-built-with-pride/

---