Changing with the times
The shift from custom jobs to major programs was facilitated by expanded infrastructure. After the initial lease ran out, Montreal Neon moved down the street in 1995 to a 790-m2 (8,500-sf) space, nearly twice the size of the old location.
“When we started, I would say 80 per cent of our efforts were in manufacturing and 20 per cent in pre-manufacturing preparation,” says Paolucci. “Our strength was in customization, as we had neon glass blowers creating large signs. Today, the ratio is more like 50:50 because there’s so much more emphasis on service, including getting sign permits and signing agreements with landlords. Automation has helped reduce manufacturing time on the shop floor, but given all of the ‘milestones’ you need to hit before production, each sign really takes about the same amount of time. In other words, pre-production has compensated for production!”
“We make sure never to let our clients down,” says Dupré. “We contest permit application refusals, for example, which often means going to municipal meetings at night to represent our customer’s perspective. It’s a lot of work and most sign companies don’t do it, but it’s part of our approach for building long-standing relationships with our clients.”
Indeed, project management has become a major focus for Montreal Neon. Today’s ratio of staff is also nearly 50:50 between sales/project management and production.
“With large projects, for example, we tend to send a supervising team to work with local installers, such as in Las Vegas,” says Paolucci. “We’re very hands-on with installation and we also offer maintenance contracts. It doesn’t mean every single job goes absolutely smoothly, but it does mean we can resolve any challenges as they arise. So, having project managers has really been our strength in terms of providing a turnkey operation.”
For some of its retailer clients, for example, Montreal Neon has engineered a custom framing system that makes signs easier to install on-site.
“Our project managers know our major clients’ standards inside-out,” says Dupré, “so it’s because of the type of clients we serve that we need our project managers. Our service doesn’t stop when the sign is sold.”
The company’s new property offers plenty of space for future growth.
“Our customers see us as a leader in the sign industry and that’s because of our dedication and emphasis on service,” says Paolucci. “Large corporations depend on suppliers like us. We get the job done right and one time, so they continue working with us.”
Those customers have included retailers like Ikea, Garage, PharmaPrix/Shoppers Drug Mart, Winners and HomeSense, movie theatre operator Cineplex, shopping mall developer First Capital Realty and hotel operators like Marriott, Choice Hotels and Holiday Inn.
In fact, in 2009, Montreal Neon was one of only five Canadian sign manufacturers approved to build new outdoor illuminated signs for the global rebranding of 3,200-plus Holiday Inn locations (see Sign Media Canada, November 2009, page 24), using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to replace neon and fluorescent lamps. The nature of the project was fitting, as despite its name, Montreal Neon has also shifted largely to LED-based signs.
“We had four neon craftsman at the peak of demand,” says Paolucci. “Today, we only need one, but we’re glad to have him because he’s one of the best in Canada and he still enjoys it. Our neon department mainly produces smaller signs these days, typically for a single client program. LEDs have really taken over and to meet our customers’ specifications, we continuously work with our LED manufacturing partners to develop new, unique colours.”
Another major project was the expansion of Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in the early 2000s, which Montreal Neon was involved with for six years.
“That gave us more ‘institutional’ exposure,” says Paolucci.
The company has grown to 75 employees.
A family affair
Dupré and Paolucci married in 1999, the same year as Montreal’s next move to a 2,369-m2 (25,500-sf) facility in Laval, Que. They have five children.
“When I was six or seven years old, I told my mother one day I would own a company and have a big family,” says Dupré. “If you have objectives, you just have to make them happen!”
Running the business together, they have continued to handle very different roles.
“I love the everyday challenges of dealing with our suppliers and assisting our employees,” says Dupré. “Even though I also enjoy speaking with our customers, I don’t tend to handle sales, so Carlo has more exposure to our customers.”
For this reason, their official titles switched over time. At the beginning, Dupré was president and Paolucci vice-president (VP), but today they are reversed, with Paolucci serving as president and Dupré as VP of finance. While these titles are important for representing the company’s structure, however, they are not used much in the office.
“We don’t encourage the use of job titles, as they can create extra ‘walls’ between employees,” says Dupré. “You won’t see them listed on our office doors. Everyone here knows what they are supposed to do, but are also free to express their ideas.”
