Two local print owners have gone all in and bought up the Australian master franchise rights to international graphics group Signwave. Dean Rowland and Leo Baker get into the driver’s seat, determined grow the business’s local footprint and provide better support for franchisees.
Corporate management consultant Linda Sultmann rounds out the new homegrown Signwave team, after working closely with the group over the last 18 months. A sizable long-term investment, together the trio of entrepreneurs plan to grow the Signwave network nationally and strengthen local leadership within the business.
- The new wave - Dean Rowland, Leo Baker and Linda Sultmann
Signwave operates internationally as Fastsigns, headquartered in the US, and until recently communications had to go back through the States. According to Rowland, who bought into the group nearly 15 years ago, it was time for a new challenge and he saw an opportunity to invest in the industry.
“We actually approached them. Leo and I were looking for the next challenge and we thought we could offer a lot more to the group. Linda got on board just a bit after that. She was consulting for us, and she had formed great relationships with all the franchisees. We think it’s a great match of skill sets,” says Rowland.
Rowland explains to Print21 that the move will give the Australian franchisees more freedom to develop their business to the local market, and give them access to better support systems. The new Signwave team have to expand by co-branding with printers looking to grow their offering into signage.
"There are great margins in signage and the market is growing. But so much of the time we're getting asked by customers can we provide the other print aspects, business cards and booklets. Where we can we're happy to get involved, but for an existing print shop to tap into that work is a no-brainer. We've found there's really quite an easy crossover for the two," says Rowland.
The second third of the new team, Leo Baker, has been with Signwave for over a decade, and has be a franchise owner since 2001. He is a committee member with the Australian Sign and Graphics Association (ASGA) and, like Rowland, he is eager to take an active hand in expanding the business over the coming year.
"We love the industry and know the industry and believe the current economic climate is favourable for driving significant network growth in Australia. It's also an opportune time for the right people as franchisees to stake a claim in the returns of the signage industry," says Baker.
Linda Sultmann highlights the diverse skill sets called upon to drive Signwave's business forward, inviting commercial printers and corporates alike to consider making the move to signage.
"After detailed analysis, we have determined there is considerable demand in the signage market to facilitate additional market share. Among our current franchisees, even those that have in the past not been proactive in business development, we have had considerable success in building a solid revenue base. We are excited by the prospect of helping them grow further and become more profitable," said Sultmann.
Signwave has more than 535 centres worldwide, with 18 running in Australia, operating mostly in NSW and VIC. The local team are keen to fill out into the other states and push up franchise numbers moving forward.