Frontier Signworks and Safety General Manager Mark Tanigami and his wife, Brittni, work with a dedicated group of employees to provide a one-stop solution for their clients. Together with their safety division, the crew is known as “Team FS.” Photos courtesy Frontier Signworks
By Ginny Mumm
For a growing number of sign shops, the benefits of adding ultraviolet (UV) printing capability are clear. UV printers produce quick-drying, long-lasting, vibrant prints on a wide variety of surfaces, including rigid substrates and promotional products. According to ResearchandMarkets.com, while the overall digital print market is projected to grow from USD $24.8 billion in 2021 to USD $34.3 billion in 2026, among digital printing inks, UV ink is projected to grow at the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) during the forecast period.
To understand the advantages for sign shops expanding into lucrative UV printing applications, we spoke with Mark Tanigami, general manager of Frontier Signworks and Safety in Brooks, Alta. His shop recently brought in UV printing capability to further its goal of becoming a one-stop shop for its clients.
How did you come to own Frontier Signworks?
Mark Tanigami (MT): I was working in the instrumentation field when a friend told me about an opportunity to buy a sign shop. My wife, Brittni, and I purchased Frontier Signworks in August 2010. Brittni currently oversees the day-to-day operations of the Signworks division, and I am general manager for Team FS. With the help of our management team, we now offer a wide range of services.
How did your business become known as Team FS?
MT: When we purchased Frontier Signworks, it was operating with older equipment in a 111.5 m² (1200 sf) shop. We recently moved Frontier Signworks into a 650-m² (7000-sf) facility in an industrial section of town, just south of the local skate park. The production and installation area is around 511 m² (5500 sf), while our sales reception and design area is about 140 m² (1500 sf). We also have several very large vehicle bays for large truck installations.
We added our safety division, Frontier Safety, in 2014, and began referring to our group as Team FS. The two divisions operate in neighbouring buildings that share a parking lot to provide a true one-stop shop. We currently have 10 people in our Signworks division, including three graphic designers, two experienced installers, three production experts, one inside sales manager, and an operations manager. We have four employees in our safety division.
Frontier Signworks displays its Roland DG LEF2-300 UV flatbed printer and some of the many products it can customize for clients to see when they walk in.
What services does Frontier Signworks offer?
MT: We offer wide-format printing, using our Roland DG SOLJET 64-in. printer and a 1524 mm (60 in.) Graphtec cutter to produce stickers, signs, magnets, vehicle graphics, and wraps, and window and wall graphics. We also print canvas for stretched frames. We print banners for indoor and outdoor use, along with large-format posters and maps. We also provide copy and print production services, direct-to-garment printing, engraving, embroidery, and screenprinting.
Our most recent equipment addition is a Roland DG VersaUV LEF2-300 UV printer. With it, we have expanded our services to include direct printing on promotional products, as well as a range of personalized awards, drinkware, and other 3D products.
What industries do you serve?
MT: Fortunately, almost every industry needs signage, promotional products, and safety supplies. We do a lot of work for the oil and gas industry and for various other industrial companies, retail stores, and restaurants, as well as for schools and sports teams.
The variety of equipment we have allows us to produce orders for both large and small corporations. We see a wide range of customers, from company owners to local farmers, team coaches, and school teachers. We also serve walk-in clients who are simply looking for a custom-made item.
We mainly serve clients in Brooks and the surrounding area, but we have done work for businesses across Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. In addition, our online store has made us more accessible across Canada. We have shipped items throughout North America and overseas.
