Murat Kalan, Raj Vithlani, Melanie Martinez, Max Hollick, Alan White and Jose Martinez.
SIGNS OF SUCCESS You can see the work of Fastsigns wherever you go - whether it is shop fronts, car wraps or exhibition stands. The company has become a familiar presence in the Gatwick Diamond and has just celebrated 20 years of trading in Crawley. Platinum Business Magazine met with owner Raj Vithlani.
I
t’s a year of milestones for Fastsigns. The Crawley/Gatwick franchise is celebrating 20 years of trading, and the parent company is celebrating its 30th anniversary. A small company known for its friendly and professional service, the Crawley business has established itself as an institution on the Manor Royal Business District. You know you will be greeted with a familiar face as most of the staff have been with the company for the best part of two decades. Clearly, staff retention has never been a problem. Behind the scenes they can call on the
50
knowledge and economies of scale of the biggest franchise operation in the signage industry. Fastsigns was founded in Dallas in 1985 by Gary Salomon and Bob Schanbaum. The first franchise was sold in December 1986, with its first international franchise sold in 1991. There are currently more than 575 Fastsigns locations worldwide in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Australia (where centres operate under the name Signwave). The debate about the pros and cons of buying a
franchise or starting a new business could fill the pages of the whole magazine, but for Raj Vithlani, who purchased the franchise five years ago, the decision wasn’t very difficult. “To find a business where you have people with 17 or 18 years of experience tells you they are doing something right,” says Raj. “It’s a small team, but it’s a team that has got a vast experience base. They are also unique as the longest-serving team in Fastsigns UK!” Marketing Manager, Melanie Martinez, who joined the Crawley company on day one, agrees;