CARROLLTON, TX, Dec 18, 2008 -- FASTSIGNS International, Inc., the franchisor and operator of FASTSIGNS(R) sign and graphics centers worldwide, announced today that Catherine Monson will assume the position of CEO beginning January 2, 2009. FASTSIGNS founder and current CEO, Gary Salomon, takes over as Chairman of the Board and will continue working with Roark Capital, the private equity firm that owns FASTSIGNS, and the FASTSIGNS executive team on strategic direction.

Catherine Monson comes to FASTSIGNS with a strong background in franchising and digital printing, having worked for over 28 years with another one of the most well-respected business to business franchisors in the industry, Franchise Services, Inc., which owns Sir Speedy, PIP Printing (where she served as President), Signal Graphics, MultiCopy Europe and TeamLogicIT. As president of PIP Printing, she was instrumental in advancing the processes and functions of the franchise system while also focusing on how to improve franchise satisfaction.

In addition to her role as president, she's gained valuable experience within Sir Speedy and MultiCopy Europe, serving in the operations, franchise development, sales, training and marketing/communications divisions, giving her critical knowledge on all aspects of running a franchise business. Monson is on the board of the International Franchise Association (IFA), the Business Marketing Association and Pi Sigma Epsilon, a national collegiate sales and marketing fraternity.

"As I began to look at stepping back from FASTSIGNS, it was important to have someone in my place who understands the mission of FASTSIGNS and what the brand stands for," said Gary Salomon, who opened his first FASTSIGNS center in Dallas in 1985. "I know Catherine will continue the legacy and the culture of this great company -- people and service first, always taking the high road when given an option, and working tirelessly to keep our system the amazing system that it is."

When the FASTSIGNS concept took flight as a franchise in 1986, the business world considered the concept an innovation. The approach was a complete break from sign industry tradition and for the first time, custom signage was readily available to businesses, organizations and special events, in small quantities, at convenient locations and at affordable prices. Over twenty years later, the industry is vastly different with the introduction of full color graphics and cutting-edge technology that the company has embraced in an effort to meet the diverse and growing needs of sign buyers.

"FASTSIGNS has an impeccable reputation and is a proven leader in the sign and graphics industry, and I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this outstanding organization," said Monson. "The company was founded with a simple concept of making the sign and graphics process simple for the customer while delivering a valuable business need, and I strongly believe that the goals and values that FASTSIGNS was founded upon will continue to dominate how this business runs in the future."

Today, there are over 540 FASTSIGNS locations in six countries -- the US, Canada, Australia (where it operates as SIGNWAVE(R)), Mexico, Brazil and the United Kingdom. FASTSIGNS continues to consistently be ranked among the world's leading franchise companies by industry and business publications such as Entrepreneur, Franchise Times, Franchise Business Review and more.