Fastsigns manor royal move

Crawley based signage company, FASTSIGNS have kicked off 2021 with a move to new premises. Owner Melanie Martinez tells us about their plans for the future and why it was so important for them to stay on Manor Royal

We have been trading in Crawley for 26 years this May, the last 15 of which have been in Manor Royal. Having outgrown our old unit we knew we needed larger premises in order to expand but desperately wanted to fi nd one that not only ticked all the boxes on our wish list but was still on Manor Royal. The relationships we have built over the years through being part of the Manor Royal BID and GDB defi nitely played a huge part in our decision as to where we wanted to relocate. I have always found there to be a great sense of community amongst businesses in the Gatwick Diamond area. We could not believe our luck when a month or so into our quest to find the perfect new home for our busines, Unit 15 Lloyds Court came up and literally ticked every box. It was a nice big empty space that we could truly make our own and with my partners Jose, Alan and I having over 75 year’s combined experience in the sign industry between us we knew exactly what we wanted to do with it.

Jose Martinez, Melanie Martinez and Alan White

When we fi rst started looking there was absolutely nothing out there that suited our requirements. All the units were either just too big or too small and when we envisaged our new premises, we had an extremely clear picture in our minds as to what would work for us. Everything would be on one level and would include a show room, print room, new offices and a production area that had a roller shutter so we could bring vehicles inside to sign write.

January and February were spent having building work done whilst still manufacturing behind closed doors. Due to the nature of our business this was challenging but nevertheless we did it and in early March we finally started working in our newly finished offices and workshop. We could not be more pleased with the space we have created. The showroom enables us to beautifully display the innovative products we can offer, and the new larger offices also give us the opportunity to showcase even more of what FASTSIGNS can do as there is always something new and exciting to explore within the sign industry. Having more production space to make up our signage is already proving invaluable and gives us more scope to keep larger projects in house and manufactured locally. The year has begun with some great projects for us which include the Stem facility at Crawley College which was a fantastic new building to work on as well as rebranding Worthing Library’s signage. As things hopefully begin returning to normal, we are looking forward to people being able to visit us at our new premises. I am also really excited about getting out and about networking again. We have never underestimated the value of networking locally not only from a business point of view but most importantly for the friendships we have made and relationships we have built over the years. We consider ourselves extremely lucky to have clients dating back the full 25 years we have been trading which is something we are extremely proud of.

We are excited about the year ahead and what it has in store for us after what has been such an uncertain time for everyone. Working in a space with the potential to fulfil our vision for FASTSIGNS Crawley’s future is a fantastic feeling.

Alan, Jose and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers, families, Steve Sawyer and the Manor Royal BID team along with Mandi, Sally, Jeff and the GDB team for their tireless support over the years, especially this last year, it is truly appreciated and we wish all of our fellow Platinum readers a healthy, happy 2021.

As well as core signage such as facias, banners, exhibition graphics, illuminated signs and vehicle graphics FASTSIGNS can provide many more products. These include digital signage, bespoke items, wall graphics, monoliths, stationery and much more.

FASTSIGNS International Inc. provides custom sign and graphics products across the globe and is at the forefront of the sign industry. There are currently over 700 store locations worldwide. The Sussex centre benefits from the support network, resources and economies of the scale offered by multinational group, as well as the local knowledge of the Crawley owners.