Carrollton, Tex. – FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS®, the leading sign, graphics and visual communications franchise, announced today it acquired sign franchise Sign Me Up Signs & Advertising. Each of Sign Me Up's six locations throughout Long Island and one in New Jersey will be converted to a FASTSIGNS center by February 2020, growing FASTSIGNS' presence on Long Island to eight locations.

"We're delighted to end 2019 with this acquisition, adding seven locations to the FASTSIGNS network. We are proud to have Sign Me Up co-founder Bryan Schwartz join FASTSIGNS as a franchisee," said Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS International, Inc. "With dedicated members of the FASTSIGNS corporate team already on the ground in Long Island starting the rebranding and training process for each center, we are revving up to multiply our presence and further expand our reach in New York quickly. The addition of these seven locations is a true testament to the strength of the FASTSIGNS."

The Sign Me Up locations that will be converted to FASTSIGNS centers are located in Oceanside, Wantagh, Lindenhurst, Centereach, and Bethpage, New York, and Elmwood Park, New Jersey. Additionally, the Sign Me Up corporate office and production center in West Babylon, New York, will also be converted to FASTSIGNS.

As part of its aggressive growth throughout New York, FASTSIGNS recently opened locations in Queens and Brooklyn, and continues to seek qualified franchisees to grow the brand throughout New York and the Northeast. For any existing business looking to expand into this fast-paced market, FASTSIGNS offers co-brand and conversion programs to help owners diversify their product lines and services to meet the growing demand for comprehensive signage and visual communications solutions. FASTSIGNS has helped countless owners of print shops, photography studios, camera stores, embroidery shops, and more, add a FASTSIGNS to their existing business or fully convert their store to a FASTSIGNS franchise. FASTSIGNS franchisees receive ongoing training and support to stay ahead of the competition and exceed the needs of their local business community. Both the co-brand franchise opportunity and conversion can be started with only $15,000 down on the initial franchise fee.

FASTSIGNS also offers a special incentive for first responders, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers, sheriffs, and firefighters, which includes a 50 percent reduction on the franchise fee — a savings of $24,875.

FASTSIGNS has reported exceptional results this year. In the U.S. the brand signed 40 franchise agreements to develop new, co-branded, and conversion centers and is projected to open over 30 locations this year. Internationally, FASTSIGNS opened its first locations in Chile and Malta and signed an additional master franchise agreement to develop centers in the Dominican Republic. FASTSIGNS is continuing to seek qualified candidates to grow its international footprint in target markets throughout the world, including Québec, New Zealand, and Brazil, as well as countries throughout North Africa, Southwest Asia, Latin America, and Europe.

FASTSIGNS is consistently ranked as a top franchise opportunity. In 2019, Entrepreneur magazine named FASTSIGNS the #1 franchise opportunity in its category and 95 overall on its annual Franchise 500® list, making it the only sign, graphics, and visual communications franchise to be recognized in the top 100. Entrepreneur also named FASTSIGNS one of the Top Franchises for Veterans in 2019. FASTSIGNS also was recognized as one of the top business opportunities for veterans in Franchise Business Review's 2019 Top Franchises for Veterans report. FASTSIGNS was named to the 2019 America's Best Franchises to Buy list by Forbes magazine. FASTSIGNS made Franchise Direct's list of the Top 100 Franchises 2019 and ranked #2 on this year's Franchise Gator Top 100 list, both ranking the best franchises for 2019. Franchise Business Review has recognized FASTSIGNS as one of the "Best of the Best" for franchisee satisfaction for the last 10 years, as well as naming FASTSIGNS to its "Innovative Franchises" list in 2017, and its Top 50 Franchises for Women and Top Service Franchise lists in 2019. In 2018, Franchise Business Review named FASTSIGNS a "Best-in-Category" franchise. This year, the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) awarded FASTSIGNS International, Inc. the Franchisees' Choice Designation for the seventh consecutive year for its strong relationship with Canadian franchisees, as well as extensive franchisee training and support.