By Sonia Yooshing
At Twilight Signs, anything is possible with branded spaces. The team believes there has never been a more exciting time than now to work in multiple dimensions and engage all the senses.
In the digital age, every physical space needs to justify its existence by offering an extraordinary experience—one that cannot be found online. So, when the time comes to build or renovate a space, one must do it right or not do it at all.
At Twilight Signs, anything is possible with branded spaces. The team believes there has never been a more exciting time than now to work in multiple dimensions and engage all the senses. When a job is done right, it has the power to attract its audiences, and these Bolton, Ont.-based signmakers know exactly how to captivate imaginations through their impactful signage and immersive environments. So, one can sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride as the team gets its creative juices flowing to break new ground.
Sign Media Canada recently spoke with Bill Houston, the creative force and CEO at Twilight Signs, to learn more about the company’s history, its signmaking process, and future plans for the business.
When it comes to exterior signage, the shop believes high impact branding starts at the street or the skyline. The bulk of these projects include backlit signs, channel letters, monument and pylon signs, as well as wayfinding solutions.
Sign Media Canada (SMC): What is the history of the sign shop? How large is the facility today?
Bill Houston (BH): Twilight Signs started out as a small 279-m2 (3000-sf) industrial facility in 1989. Back then, there were few regulations, and the industry was largely occupied by small family businesses and others—what I would refer to as ‘a handyman’s special.’ At the time, the shop provided simple signage, consisting of channel and cut-out letters, awnings, neon signs, and custom projects. Today, we have a 2325-m2 (25,000-sf) large facility with 45 employees. The company recently opened an office in Shanghai to support the Asian and European markets. I am thrilled to see how far we have come. Our drive to create innovative products combined with a high level of professionalism has enabled us to achieve what we had envisioned nearly three decades ago.
SMC: What makes your company unique?
BH: Yes, we build signs, but the secret ingredient to award-winning results is more than a mere set of drawings. As a creator of both internal and external environments, we help our clients achieve brand consistency and a more holistic experience. Our team is extremely focused on the creative design part of the job, which enables us to hit a home run with all our products and services.
SMC: What type of signage does your shop primarily make?
BH: We believe in creating branded environments that not only drive sales, but also captivate our audiences and give them a reason to return. Our fabrication work comprises an eclectic mix of interior and exterior signage—from retail and restaurants to complex healthcare facilities. Some of our interior signage projects include directional and illuminated signs, modern Acrylishell letters, and silicone-edge graphics (SEG) FabriBright Slim lightboxes. We also create custom displays for retail businesses and tradeshows. When it comes to exterior signage, we believe high impact branding starts at the street or the skyline. The bulk of these projects include backlit signs, channel letters, monument and pylon signs, as well as wayfinding solutions.
SMC: What type of work have you been handling recently?
BH: The demand for digital signage is increasing by the day, and clients who expect to continue with a brick-and-mortar location in the future pose a serious challenge for businesses to enhance their overall customer experience in-store. Light-emitting diode (LED), transparent, and interactive liquid crystal display (LCD) screens are all part of this experience. We see vast opportunities beyond North America. In Europe and Asia, there is a lag in the customer experience and branding of store concepts. We have effectively used these gaps as areas to increase our business and have seen a growing interest in bringing new ideas and technologies to these markets.
