Back in 1998, Grant and Sarah Archibald decided to take the plunge and establish their own business – which they named Speedy Signs. Twenty-five years later it’s going from strength to strength. They reflect on a quarter-century of helping their customers get their messages across loudly, clearly, and “speedily”.
With a dream to become self-employed and build a profitable business model that could be shared with others, Grant flew to the USA – the home of franchising. That trip provided the clarity needed as to what industry Grant and Sarah wanted to enter – one that would have good growth opportunities in the
New Zealand market. After a fair bit of market research and business planning, they chose to start a
sign company.
“We chose the name ‘Speedy’ as it meant we could both quote and deliver faster than typical industry standards, and ‘Signs’ as it said exactly what we sell,” Grant says.
With a clear focus on providing quality solutions for their customers, along with excellent customer service, great communication and “speedily” delivered results, the Speedy Signs business grew rapidly. This was despite 1998 technically being in recession!
Peter Smythe, owner of a Speedy Signs franchise for 15 years and now Business Development Manager at the franchise support office, has witnessed many changes in the industry which have allowed Speedy Signs to provide improved outcomes for its customers.
“Around the time Speedy Signs was established, wide format digital printing technology was still in its infancy and improvements in technology have provided the springboard for major efficiency gains. Printing technology continues to develop and remains the mainstay of signage production across the group,” he says.
Speedy Signs was also quick to adopt the latest eco-friendly and sustainable options such as latex water-based inks and recyclable substrates, meaning clients have the option of choosing fully recyclable signage.
Technology developments over recent years have allowed the sign industry to offer digital screen solutions, a change that Speedy Signs has welcomed.
The business now provides solutions from a single screen through to multi-site installations, including digital menu systems for food outlets, right through to large video walls in malls.
The business is also introducing new proprietary point of sale and production software to drive productivity and enhance customer service, whilst also investigating the use of AI technology.
As the only sign company with a nationwide network, Speedy Signs has a presence in 27 locations from Whangārei to Invercargill, and can manage everything from design through to installation, right across the country. This is especially beneficial to corporates with multiple branches.
Speedy Signs also strongly supports giving back to communities.
“To say thank you to charities, sports clubs and not-for-profits for the wonderful work they do in our communities, we ran our ‘Signs of Support’ campaign,” Grant says.
In February the business also made a considerable donation to the Hawke’s Bay Disaster Relief Trust following the recent flooding. Speedy Signs will recognise its milestone with another nationwide campaign that provides a valuable boost to local charities.
“Any business that not only survives but thrives for 25 years is a cause for celebration, and what greater way to recognise this success but by giving back to the community,” says Grant.
Visit speedysigns.co.nz for more information.
This article was originally published in the March/April 2023 issue of NZ Marketing. Click here to subscribe.
