Franchisee: Steve McMurray
Franchise: Signs Express
Territory: Falkirk

A strong brand and support from a dedicated team at franchise headquarters were the main attractions to Steve McMurray – one of the few franchisees with a sign making background to join the UK’s leading sign franchise Signs Express.

A chance meeting with an old colleague at a franchise exhibition lead to Steve hearing about a resale in his area, with Steve taking on the Signs Express business in Falkirk in 2005.

After restructuring the business, Steve has been able to more than triple turnover, turning the business into one of the largest sign companies in the area and becoming one of the most successful Signs Express franchisees in the network. By keeping control of his costs he has also achieved excellent profit margins enabling reinvestment into the business; ensuring he has the latest technology in house to meet his customers exacting demands.

Such is his achievement; Steve McMurray was named a finalist in the British Franchise Association Franchisee of the Year awards in 2010 and has three times been recognised in the Signs Express franchise awards held biennially during the Signs Express convention. In his latest accolade, the business was short listed for Sign Business of the Year at the Sign & Digital UK awards 2012.

Steve McMurray said, “When I first took over the business it was underperforming and had poor brand presence but I could see the potential. We’ve worked really hard to build our reputation in the Falkirk area which has resulted in around 80% of our business coming from repeat orders due to our customer relations.”

Through his strong belief in customer service, great attention to detail and his exemplary management skills, Steve and his team have been commissioned to work on many of the largest projects in the region.

Steve continued, “I could see many benefits of being part of a franchise rather than starting up my own business, even though I had already worked in the sign industry. Being part of a network of established sign businesses means we can gain many competitive advantages over our local counterparts and with the back up and support from the dedicated team at franchise headquarters help is always just a phone call away.”

As a management franchise with full training and support provided in all areas of the business, Signs Express franchisees do not need experience in the sign industry and come from all walks of life from the military, IT, local government, manufacturing and retail to name just a few.

Signs Express has been established for over 20 years and is still looking for enthusiastic business professionals to fill a few key areas in its network including Dundee, Fife and Inverness in Scotland as well as having a select number of franchise resales available.