When Joe and Bev Goldsby started their Vancouver-based sign business, NW Sign Solutions, they didn’t know they were about to embark on a creative adventure.
The large format digital printing company was formed in early 2008, shortly after Bev Goldsby made the decision to retire from Hewlett Packard. Months later, the recession caused the economy to come to a screeching halt, which impacted their business for a few years. However, the Goldsbys continued forward in their small business endeavor with determination.
Today, the company has grown to include a production manager, several full-time and part-time employees, subcontractors and a wall covering installation team.
NW Sign Solutions uses full-color, wide-format digital printing and combinations of other materials and finishing options to produce signs, vehicle wraps, custom wallcoverings and murals, and much more. The company’s team works with clients from start to finish – from concept and design to print, build and install.
“We understand that each of our clients operates a unique business and that means their means of presenting themselves must be equally unique,” said Bev Goldsby. “Our tagline is ‘Getting Your Business Noticed,’ and what better way to get noticed than to get your business name out there?”
Industry challenges
Goldsby explained that one of the company’s greatest challenges comes from finding experienced staff members.
“We pride ourselves with hiring some of the best and brightest,” she said, “but it’s challenging to find those super artistic people who want to work in the sign industry. We look for those who have the experience to not only design creatively, but to design things so it’s print-ready.”
Growth areas
According to the Goldsbys, NW Sign Solutions excels in the area of custom murals. Most recently, the company completed a large project for Daybreak Youth Services in Brush Prairie, where they worked with Manley Architects to create lobby signs and a unique donor wall. Goldsby and her team custom-printed wall murals for three locations in the lobby area. A fourth sign in the lobby included a unique steel logo and black acrylic letters.
The company has also seen significant growth in the area of mobile signage. Branding vehicles by adding a business name or logo can be done in a partial wrap or a full wrap. Either one will promote the business in a forever-moving world. The best part, Goldsby said, is that each wrap is completely versatile, meaning clients can go simple, complex, or big and bold.
NW Sign Solutions has even seen a rise in clients that don’t own a business, but just want to decorate their car in a unique way, Goldsby noted.
As the company continues to grow, the owners said NW Sign Solutions holds fast to its goal of providing outstanding visual communication for each client in a fast-paced world.
“We try to listen to our customers about what they want to differentiate themselves, and then we get creative,” Goldsby said.
NW Sign Solutions
10906 N.E. 39th St., No. A3, Vancouver
Founded 2008
www.nwsignsolutions.com
