L-R Jake Lambourne, Steve Lambourne, Luke Lambourne
SS Signs
Taking it to the next level SS Signs, one of Australia’s leading signage companies, has taken its signage production capabilities to a new level by investing in a stunning new purpose-built head office production facility in Cleveland, Queensland. Not only have they invested in a leading-edge production facility, but they have also invested even more heavily in their people. With workflow and automation a focus, they have also recently installed Australia’s first Digitech TruFire LTX2 flatbed printer. Steve Lambourne, owner of SS Signs, shared his journey in an exclusive interview with Digital Image Magazine. With over 3800 sqm of custom-designed, purpose-built signage manufacturing capabilities, SS Signs is a facility that is truly aspirational. A full-service signage company with eleven in-house installers, the company-owned installation kit includes two cherry pickers, two scissor lifts, a 22m all-terrain boom, crane truck, 2.5t excavator and a tilt tray, making them totally self-sufficient, a must as any project manager will attest to. SS Signs has in-house steel fabrication complete with cranes, gantries, and all the necessary fabrication and safety equipment, fabricating over 150 tonnes of steel per year and 30 tonnes of ACP. Combine that with a custom-built spray booth large enough to fit a B-double truck, and there is nothing too big for this facility to fabricate, spray or wrap. When asked what inspired the design of the new production facility, Steve said, “It took me about a year to come up with the design after continually refining it based on my experience in other buildings and creating a space for what our future business looks like. We put installation at the heart of our business because when a job goes wrong, the installers often get the blame, and they’re the ones working at 4.30 am in the morning. So, we focus very hard on delivering our installation team the absolute best experience they can get. The installation bay where the trucks are loaded is in the centre of the building, where everything culminates. We ensure we have the right materials, the right people, detailed site specifications and job instructions, and that the truck is stocked straight from our installation bay, so no lost time running to Bunnings. As a result, we are now installing double what we used to install this time last year.” Another key driver was to create a fantastic work environment for our staff because they are the most important part of our business, says
Steve. “These days, there are nowhere near as many people coming into the industry and through the ranks as there have been in the past. We employ eleven apprentices between Brisbane and Melbourne and focus very hard on their training and development as they are a massive part of our future. We employ many young people, especially since my two sons, Luke, who runs operations, and Jake, who runs installation, have joined the business as all their mates end up working for us. We find that we’re not looking for signage people so much anymore, but we are looking for young, hands-on technical minds that can operate computers and the latest flatbeds and cutting technology, which then frees up the workload from the more experienced staff to create the time and space teach the young people what to look for as they haven’t learned that eye for detail yet.”
Installation preparation bay
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