City Image Signs specializes in working closely with storefront businesses, multi-location companies and franchises, general contractors, facility owners, and developers in the execution of permanent and illuminated signs.
SMC: How is technology changing your business?
MP: We understand advancements in technology directly impact signage and the means by which it is made. To keep up with product developments, we rely heavily on our network of vendors to bring in a variety of manufacturers for ‘lunch and learns’ so we can gain knowledge about new products in the market. We also attend trade shows and subscribe to the latest industry resources to keep ourselves informed of new trends and signmaking methods. Engaging with businesses outside the sign industry allows us to find potential overlap in technologies.
Further, our staff is encouraged and fully subsidized by the company to upgrade their knowledge and skills by pursuing further education within fields of study that will directly contribute to the advancement of their professional careers and subsequently benefit the business.
Most recently, City Image Signs invested in building its own customer relationship management (CRM) system to streamline the flow of information within the company, allowing for greater efficiencies in turnaround time, effective communication, and increased capacity to take on more projects at once.
SMC: What is the key to staying successful in this industry?
MP: The key to our success is centred on our core values of integrity, mutual respect, and quality signage. With a focus on building and maintaining long-term relationships, delivering a customer experience based around these values helps solidify our reputation of delivering on our promises.
SMC: What are the future plans for your business?
MP: The company is still in the growth stage of where we want to be as a business. While we are currently set up to supply and install signage anywhere in Canada, we are continuously looking for ways to build efficiencies within different regions. By leveraging our strong partnerships, electrical certification, custom-built CRM program, and project management expertise, we strive to become an industry leader in the turnkey execution of permanent and illuminated signage projects across North America.
MC: How has the pandemic affected your business? How did the shop cope?
MP: This past year has been unprecedented and, honestly, it was not exactly planned for when we created our budget for 2020. That said, while we had no control over the pandemic, we did have control over how we adjusted to it. With the foresight to shift our front-end business entirely to cloud-based operations back in 2015, we were equipped to transition to the work-from-home mandate. This preparedness enabled us to easily adapt to the changed working environment, allowing us to continue to bring in enough projects, remain fully staffed, and even add two more employees to the team. In addition, with dutiful diligence in following health mandates, we have been able to successfully establish and maintain a safe work environment for our staff to continue working while we find our way through to the other side of the pandemic.
