For over 30 years, Signworld has been a national organization with more than 360 independently owned sign companies, providing commercial custom signage and graphics. By Nancy E. Williams
For over 30 years, Signworld has been a national organization with more than 360 independently owned sign companies, providing commercial custom signage and graphics.
2021 was a busy year for Signworld owners, with numerous operations holding record months in sales. “Signworld has onboarded 17 new owners so far in addition to three resales, with one selling for $2 million,” shared Sharae Ewing, director of communications and event coordinator for Signworld. You read that right! Ewing explained that one location with very few employees resold for almost 10 times its original purchase price! Signworld will finish the year with 360 owners throughout the U.S. and Canada.
So who are these new owners flocking to Signworld? “Our newest Signworld owners have previous careers that span a wide range of industries,” said Ewing. “They range from former police commanders, CPAs, project managers, engineers, medical device salespeople, and oil and gas industry executives to business analysts at IBM, HVAC technicians, and some, of course, franchise owners.”
Ewing went on to explain that Signworld owners rarely come from a sign industry background. “These are businessmen and women wanting to run a business. Their various backgrounds in the corporate world help them succeed in building a manufacturing business and turning it into a legacy they may sell or pass down to their children,” she said.
Signworld owners are good at building relationships and juggling projects but also want a good work-life balance. But do they have any regrets? “Most say their biggest regret is that they didn’t start the business sooner!” expressed Ewing.
To learn more about the business-to-business, royalty-free business model that Signworld offers, visit signworld.org.
– Nancy E. Williams