20 Years Young – a heartfelt perspective from Josie Simmonds, Business Manager @ Signs & Lines

Ok, we don’t like being show ponies but this is one anniversary that we’re pretty proud of… 20 years of ownership of Signs & Lines. In terms of a signage celebration we thought we’d recap our 20 years.

On 1st July 2001 we purchased Signs & Lines as a small going concern from a husband and wife couple, Chris and Jeni Maine. It was small. Very small. A typical family operation with 2 staff members.

Along come the blow-ins – Mark and Josie Simmonds… Fresh off the boat and with limited sign experience. Not a typical recipe for success!! However, looking back it was a logical step to make for the Pommies. With Mark’s cabinet making and kitchen design experience and Josie’s marketing and business development background it made sense. And it still makes sense!

With independent roles and different perspectives there is always room for debate and collaboration. Decision making has never been tough – despite there being some very tough decisions to make. Put simply, Mark and I work well together. He is more into big picture, opening doors, working with clients whereas I am the detail person ie the person that makes it happen (well most of the time!).  So a good match of goal setter and goal getter.

The Inbetween Years

There’s alot of ground covered in the couple of decades that have passed since 1/7/01. Many stories. Thousands of signs. Lovely people. Some really great people – many who have stayed with us for either the whole or the main part of the journey. Some who have stayed for only a short time. Most importantly, the team is what makes the company and there is no doubt that at the 20 year mark we have a really FANTASTIC group of staff.

Work Hard, Play Hard is Our Motto!

In 2001, as well as buying Signs & Lines, we also got married and then started a family in the very early years. We opened another branch in WA in the early days too. See our timeline for more keynote dates.  It all feels like a bit of a blur to be honest. Over the years we have definitely worked hard – and had a good go at playing hard too!

After 5 years of ownership we took some advice from a sign guru – AKA Master Shifu/Peter Ledger – on how we could expand our business into the next level. With a massive leap of faith we created our showcase premises in 5 Meliador Way, Midvale. Over 1500m2 of factory and offices, purpose built, purpose designed. Created with a logical flow of a sign business in mind. In 2007 we moved in and have never looked back.

Along the way we have become very focused on processes and systems. We’ve grown to ”love” them!  Because we know they make sense and our focus on better processes allows us to make better signs here in the factory and once installed in the field. Fundamentally our processes allow us to deliver better projects, which makes our clients happier and our bottom line healthier. A trifecta of good things!

Diversification has been a key part of our approach. Let’s be honest. Some ideas did not pass the test. A few ”hair brain” schemes did not get past first base. Other ideas are still bubbling (of course, standing still is never an option!). Digital signage did however get off the ground and 7 years later we are proud to lead the field in this exciting technological space – see Yap!digital for more. We believe this is the future of signage. It just makes sense – the generations to come will want and expect technology to drive their world.

What Next?

Fast Forward 20 years and the photos on our websites –Signs & Lines and Yap!digital – show the range, scale and complexity of some of the projects we have completed over the time. What the photos don’t show is the thinking process, the great interactions of all our staff, the blood, sweat and tears, the client’s smiles, the design process, the way we manage projects and many, many more things. What a signage celebration – 20 years of all these amazing achievements.

• This is not the end.
• We are still flexing our muscles and working hard:)
• There are many more projects in us!
• Do we have another 20 years of signage still to come?  What a celebration that would be!

To find out just why Signs & Lines leads the signage pack here in WA, put our professionalism in the spotlight.  Hire us for your next project and put us to the test:)

And, to everyone who has helped us along the way, Thank You!