Cities around the UK are constantly reinventing themselves. Whether rapidly undergoing changes to regenerate urban areas and adapt to remote working trends, or to improve infrastructure to empower more sustainable transport.

One business that’s seen many of those changes is FASTSIGNS Leeds; a steadfast presence on the high-streets of one of the UK’s biggest and fastest growing cities for the last 30 years.

“Looking at the changes I’ve seen over the last three decades, it’s no surprise that - just last year - Leeds was named the best UK city to grow a business,” said Andy Simpson, director at the West Yorkshire signage firm, as he reflects on the company’s major milestone.

The signage firm, now based on York Road, works with some of the city's - and country’s - biggest names, including Leeds University, Trinity Leeds and Arla Foods. Yet, its most prominent accolade is the ongoing partnership it has with local sports teams, Leeds United Football Club and Leeds Rhinos Rugby Club.

“As well as watching much of the city around us change, we’ve had the privilege of being at the forefront of so many different industries, from retail and food and beverage, to sport, leisure and education. 

“Some of our proudest achievements are the relationships we’ve maintained over the years - Leeds University, for example, have been with us for 20 years. In that time, we’ve seen just how educational institutions have become ‘mini cities’ and we’ve been by their side to help them appeal to thousands of students every year, vying for attention among a competitive market.”

In preparing for the 30th anniversary, which concluded in a celebration event attended by customers, local businesses, friends and family, Andy delved into the centre’s photography archives. Reminiscing, he said:

“When we first started, it became clear that having the right people on the team was critical. After all, these would be the people making connections with business owners, and we knew that a local signage firm needed to be able to make a real connection with those people in order to make it a success.

“We began with just three staff members, and now we have a team of 12, many of whom have almost been with us since the start. Our senior account manager, Rebecca Holiday, has been with us for 25 years and both our lead designer, Vinny Symes, and production specialist Martin Brook, have been at the business for over 20 years.”

“We’ve also kept some traditions alive, like our daily run-through meetings, which we’ve held every day since day one.”

Just like the city, Andy says that the signage industry itself has had to adapt.

“In 1995, everything was on paper; now we’re completely paperless, and the advances in technology have been significant.”

“In 1995, we used a vinyl plotter, which was innovative for the time, but anything with more than one colour meant handling multiple layers of vinyl by hand. Everything took far longer and hand cutting was the norm. But, in 1998, we bought a Gerber 4 colour printer and plotter, one of the first full colour outdoor printers on the market, which helped speed up production. ”

“Now, with around four state-of-the-art colour printers, we can produce work far more quickly and accurately than ever before. This speed and precision has been a huge advantage for our clients - this age of immediacy means that trends change fast, and our customers need to be able to keep us. This technology enables us to do just that, while still allowing our designers to add their creative flair and put to use their decades of experience.”

Alongside these shifts in people and processes, the types of signage requested by its clients have shifted too, as Andy notes, ushered in by wider social changes like the global pandemic.

“Over the years, we’ve seen a significant increase in digital signage; a trend accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic and now seen often throughout the food and beverage industry as they strive to deliver unique, personable experiences that keep customers returning. And, at the same time, customers are increasingly asking for eco-friendly and sustainable products, including short-term signage made from cardboard. We’ve worked quite closely over the years with the University of Leeds to bring to life elements of its sustainability policy.

“Now, the variety of materials we use is enormous, and learning how to work with eco-friendly alternatives has been a new challenge. It’s been a learning curve, but one that’s really worth it for our clients and the planet.” 

Throughout the years, Andy and his team have contributed to thousands of projects.

When asked what’s on the horizon for his team, Andy said, “As we look ahead, we’re excited to see what the next 30 years hold for us at FASTSIGNS. We look forward to partnering with new clients, creating impactful work, and continuing to leave our mark on Leeds and the surrounding area.”

For more information on FASTSIGNS Leeds, visit https://www.fastsigns.co.uk/leeds.