Installation of two Libertevision indoor screens, each weighing more than 907 kg (2000 lbs). The screens are 4.6-mm (0.18-in.) pixel pitch. Inset: Robert Blyth, the owner of Stàlaich Installs Inc. Photos courtesy Stàlaich Installs Inc.
By Courtney Bachar
Robert Blyth, owner of Stàlaich Installs Inc., says he always wanted to step out on his own. It was the COVID-19 pandemic that cemented his decision.
“It was the natural next step in my career, and I’m so glad I took it as it is one of the most fulfilling decisions I have ever made,” says Blyth. “Being an anglophone in Quebec has also helped me bridge connections between this province and the rest of Canada. Customers, friends, and acquaintances from across Canada and the U.S. are now seeking us out to help them with their installations.”
The name, Stàlaich, comes from its Scottish origins—the Gaelic word for install being, “Stàlaich” (pronounced Stay-Lic). “I wanted a name that had strength, meaning, staying power, and requires one to slow down to figure out how to pronounce it,” Blyth explains. Scottish inventor James Watt, which led Blyth to study mechanical engineering in his youth, as well as his father, were also of great influence for him. “[My father] would constantly say to me, “If you are going to do something, no matter what it is, do it right,” which led to our tag line, ‘Done right, always.’ Dad would be proud.”
Sign Media Canada (SMC): What makes your company unique?
Robert Blyth (RB): Our technical abilities and problem solving. We look beyond the wall to what is behind it and ensure what we are doing will hold up and last. As a young man working in the drafting department of an engineering firm, I once overheard someone say, “Don’t tell me the problem, just tell me how you are going to fix it.” That attitude has stayed with me ever since. It is the value proposition we bring to our customers. We aim to be the solution providers, not the problem creators.
We have been referred to as the “White Glove Crew” because of our unique uniforms, wearing white work shirts or polo shirts. We want our customers to feel they are getting extra special treatment. Often, the location is cleaner after the install than when we first arrived, as it should.
SMC: How large is the facility? (Square footage, number of employees, etc.)
RB: As with all new shops, we are starting out small. We are, however, doing our best to be profitable and control all costs. So far, so good. We do not have a product to sell, as much as we have a service to offer. In many ways, it is a blessing in its own way as I have always been selling or consulting in the digital signage world. We are focusing on our capacity to install interior signage now as that is the future of digital displays.
The completed Over You signage as seen from the Humaniti Hotel lobby in Montreal.
SMC: What type of signage does your shop primarily install?
RB: We are doing the typical install of lettering on walls, mostly three-dimensional, but we are very much into digital installations as well. Digital signage in windows, close view digital video displays, and menu boards are making up most of the jobs we have had so far.
SMC: What type of projects have you been working on recently?
RB: Our installation projects vary from channel letters, wayfinding signs, commercial branding signs, and digital displays, as well as high-value artwork. We have also been involved with providing supervision and guidance services for large digital video display installations, including initial start up and testing.
SMC: How much of the sign installation process is handled in-house?
RB: As mentioned, 100 per cent of our work is done in-house; we pride ourselves on cleanliness. We try to oversee the entire project for our customers. We will, on occasion, rent or subcontract very specialized labour, or equipment for larger projects.
