Leading Sign, Graphics and Visual Communications Franchisor Signs Agreement with Photo Industry Leader Gabrielle Mullinax to Add FASTSIGNS in Fullerton, California

CARROLLTON, Texas - FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS®, the leading sign, graphics and visual communications franchise, announced today it has signed an agreement with new franchisee and prominent photo industry leader, Gabrielle Mullinax. She will add to her existing photo retail shop, Fullerton Photographics, a Co-Brand FASTSIGNS center. Located at 908 North Harbor Blvd. in Fullerton, the FASTSIGNS center will be complete in fall 2016 and will mark nearly 40 Co-Brand centers for FASTSIGNS, which currently has franchised locations in over 615 locations in nine countries worldwide.

“As a proven innovator in the photo industry, Gaby is a welcomed addition to the FASTSIGNS family and we know that she will provide a ‘More Than’ experience to every customer who walks through her doors,” said Mark Jameson, EVP of Franchise Support and Development, FASTSIGNS International, Inc. “The addition of this latest Co-Brand center in California further deepens FASTSIGNS’ development commitment to take our Co-Brand concept into new markets across the country as we look to provide comprehensive visual communications services from coast-to-coast.”

Mullinax, a current resident of Yorba Linda, began her photo industry career in the early 1990s as a stay-at-home mom and talented professional photographer. As a frequent customer of Fullerton Photographics, she stumbled upon the opportunity to purchase the company in December 1999. Upon taking ownership of the shop at the turn of the millennium, she helped pave the way in the industry converting the business from analog to digital in order to integrate new products and services to achieve greater revenue.

“As a woman business owner, I’ve found a true partner in FASTSIGNS who will help expand my existing business by providing our new and current clients the ability to stay on the cutting-edge of the sign, graphics and visual communications industry,” said Mullinax. “For businesses looking for ways to expand their current portfolio and increase their revenue in today’s fast-paced market, FASTSIGNS offers an opportunity, including training and support, that is first-class in service and made the decision process easy for me.”

Fullerton Photographics provides clients an array of products and photography services customized to create endless possibilities using the modern photograph. Over the last two decades, Mullinax has become a proven photo industry leader, most recently serving as a past president of Photo Marketing Association International of which she served as the first-ever woman president. She was also the first-ever chairwoman of the Buck Rogers National Photofinishers Group and a member of Independent Photo Imagers.

To continue to attract interested franchise candidates in the photo industry, FASTSIGNS is exhibiting at the PRO 58th Annual Convention & Trade Show Sept. 26-30 at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Local entrepreneurs are invited to meet with the brand’s franchise development team that will be in attendance at the show to learn more about its Co-Brand program and growth opportunities across the country.

FASTSIGNS’ has continued to grow through the company’s Co-Brand and Conversion programs. With franchisees coming from the print and photofinishing industries, the Co-Brand program accounted for 20 percent of the franchise agreements signed in 2015, a significant increase from prior years. Launched in 2012, the FASTSIGNS Co-Brand program offers independent business operators with print and photo-related services the opportunity to add the FASTSIGNS brand and a full-suite of sign and visual graphic solutions, while continuing to own and operate their existing business. Getting started is quick; FASTSIGNS will help finance the franchise fee with as little as $15,000 down to begin the Co-Brand or conversion process. Co-Brand franchisees consistently report that adding a FASTSIGNS franchise to their business has added value for customers, promoting long-term growth opportunities for their businesses.