Paying tribute to an industry icon

by carly_mchugh | 1 December 2022 4:24 pm

By Carly McHugh

For many in the Canadian sign industry, Keith Edwards has become somewhat of a household name. Over his 50-plus-year career, he has been called a mentor, a father figure (literally and figuratively), a partner, a leader, and a legend, sharing his expertise on behalf of Grant Signs and Media Resources Inc.

This year, Edwards decided to begin his transition into retirement, leaving behind a legacy which will continue in the lives he touched throughout the industry. Looking back on the fruitful career of the “godfather” of signs, one is reminded of the immortal words of Frank Sinatra. Truly, through it all, he did it his way.

A legend in the making

Edwards got his start in the industry in the late 1960s, when he spent his summers working with his brother Grant at Grant Signs in Toronto. By 1971, he was working full-time with the company, and shortly thereafter, he became the lead installer.

In the early 1980s, Edwards attended his first board meeting for the Sign Association of Canada (SAC)—an organization he continued to be active with throughout outhis career.

As the ‘90s began, Grant Signs was sold to Deluce Group, spearheaded by the CEO of Porter Airlines, Robert Deluce. The move placed Edwards at the helm as general manager, and later president, of Grant Signs.

Ten years later, Edwards purchased the company with partners Steve Gallow and Cal Courneya. The trio then began working on the expansion of Grant Signs’ install division into British Columbia and Alberta.

From there, the company continued to evolve, adding large-format printing, tri-vision display manufacturing, and 3D prop design and creation to its repertoire. In the mid-2000s, Edwards, Gallow, and Courneya were joined by new partners Will Thomson and Bill Mullin.

The company rang in 2010 with a bang, with the acquisition of Hamilton Digital Designs (HDD) and a complete rebrand as Media Resources. Jeff Rushton and Jim Mitchell were also welcomed into the partnership.

Shortly after the rebrand, Edwards and his colleagues began expanding their company into the U.S., acquiring installation companies in North and South Carolina. Media Resources also saw significant global growth in the digital market between 2011 and 2018. The company further expanded its American operations between 2016 and 2019, to include facilities in Atlanta, Ga., Baltimore, Md., Phoenix, Ariz., and Florida.

While the industry faced some roadblocks throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the growth of Media Resources showed no signs of slowing down. From 2019 to 2021, the company’s manufacturing presence in Ontario grew from one location at 6038 m² (65,000 sf) to four locations, totalling more than 13,935 m² (150,000 sf). The company also invested more than $11 million towards a fully robotic light-emitting diode (LED) module manufacturing plant, new procedures and information technology (IT) systems, and a point-of-purchase (POP) printing facility.

Indeed, all of this time, effort, and hard work paid off for Edwards and Media Resources, as the company continued to produce award-winning projects year after year. At the Best of Canada’s Sign Industry Awards (BOCSIes), jointly presented by Sign Media Canada and SAC, the company secured Best in Show for 2020 and 2021, as well as the 2021 Sign Company of the Year. Edwards himself was honoured as SAC’s 2019 Sign Professional of the Year, as well as Mentor of the Year in 2021.

This year, after Media Resources took home the BOCSI for the best Out-of-Home Media project, Edwards watched proudly as his daughter Krista accepted SAC’s 2022 Young Professional of the Year award. The moment felt like the perfect send-off, placing the future of the company and the industry with the next generation of signmakers.

Memories from the past

Some of Edwards’ proudest memories surround the relationships he formed with sign professionals of all ages, as well as the quality time he spent with his wife Susan and their “Brady Bunch family.”

Edwards was heavily involved with some of the industry’s most recognized organizations. For more than 35 years, he was a member of the board for the Ontario Sign Association, where he served two terms as president. He was also an active member of SAC, and an involved mentor with the association’s Young Professionals Network (YPN). Edwards was honoured to be recognized as Sign Professional of the Year and Mentor of the Year, and he was proud of Media Resources’ recent accolade as Sign Company of the Year.

Edwards also reflected on some of the valuable lessons he learned over the course of his career. “Be honest with employees, as well as customers,” he shared, “and don’t forget about family.”

He expressed his thanks for the support of his business partners, including Steve Gallow, Jeff Rushton, and Will Thomson, as well as Cheng Qian and Gary Tsuji. When asked if there was anything he would change about his experience, he replied, “Hindsight is great, but if I would have changed anything, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Looking forward to the future

In the true spirit of mentorship, Edwards offered some sage advice for anyone just entering the sign industry: “Work hard, be honest, have passion, and be willing to share your knowledge with others.”

Further, for all young professionals, he spoke to the action-packed, fast-paced nature of signmaking.

“If you’re looking for an exciting career where you will never get bored, this is for you.”

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/paying-tribute-to-an-industry-icon/

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