Reade Blog

At Reade Signs, we’re particularly proud of the high standard of work produced by our expert team of fitters.  The quality of installation our fitters achieve is no mistake, as we are committed to investing significantly in this vital area of our business. Our fitters are trained in working at height and manual lifting, writing risk and method statements, CAT scanning and more. Each team of two has a qualified SMSTS lead fitter, which offers a further level of safety. We are committed to ensuring fair pay through offering at least the real living wage, all of which ensures our fitters stay with us for a long time.  With up to twenty teams of fitters out on the road on a given day, we are very passionate about ensuring our fitters are highly trained, motivated and professional at all times. Some of the teams we work with are sub-contracted, all of whom have signed up to our working practices and high standards of work and customer service.  We also ensure our modern vans are kitted out to a high specification to ensure safe transportation for our fitters and signage.  All of us at Reade Signs understand that the design and production of signage isn’t the end of the journey, and that it’s absolutely vital that signs are correctly installed, by only the most qualified and competent professionals.  Some of the ways in which our fitters ensure the highest quality installation process are below:  Working to structural calculations to ensure the footings for signage are as specified by structural design engineers   All of our hoarding panels are fitted using fixing templates and fixings as specified by structural design engineers  Window graphics: consideration is taken on expansion in heat to ensure windows don’t crack; they never cut into rubber seals or on glass We offer fully maintained solutions for permanent signage, including cleaning, checking for wear and tear and with electrical signs, performing regular testing and maintenance    We believe the importance we place on our fitters and investments we make in them and their development is what sets us apart from our competitors, which enables us to offer the complete signage solution to our valued clients, wherever in the country they may be. 

November has been an exciting month here at Reade Signs with the addition of 5 new vans added to our fleet of install vehicles. The new fleet features three large white Peugeot Boxers, chosen for their greater payload and fuel efficiency. Two smaller black Ford Transit Customs have also been added to complement our architectural division, specifically chosen for smaller installs and reduced parking bays in city centres.  “My team are delighted with the new vans, especially as they look so professional with full company branding. Reliability is key for my team when they’re travelling long distances in all weather and with greater fuel efficiency and cleaner emissions, they also help us to reduce our impact on the environment.” Paul Toms – Install Manager

Account Manager Assistant Reade Signs Ltd is a Hampshire based full service Sign Company who design, manufacture and install branding for many blue chip companies across the UK. We are currently seeking a self-motivated account manager assistant to work in our Key Accounts department. Experience in the sign industry is preferred but not essential as training will be given. The successful candidate will be supporting the Key Accounts Team and the end customer and needs to have an excellent telephone manner, be computer literate and confident. The ideal applicant will be technically inclined and able to interpret general technical drawings. The role Provide admin support to busy Key Accounts Managers. Deal directly with customers on a daily basis. Take accurate client briefs. Input job and client information in the company CRM systems (training will be provided) Liaise, with other departments. What we offer The opportunity to join a dynamic and dedicated team focused on growth through exceptional customer service. A competitive package proportionate to experience. The opportunity to develop in the role towards becoming an Account Manager Please apply to jamesh@readesigns.com attaching your CV and a covering letter.

https://youtu.be/j9UNnOBziJg We are pleased to announce and welcome Matt Seddon to the business this week. Matt joins us with a wealth of industry talent and previous experience within account management of which will help bolster our department providing support to all sales channels. “The interview process is always enjoyable when you find the right personality to fit in with the team, plus Matt has a fantastic skillset and industry knowledge to match. Matt has already hit the ground running, it’s great to have him in the business and I’m looking forward to working with him as we continue to grow.” Andy Fergus-Smith, Managing Director

Ed Hayden is one of our Business Development Managers here at Reade Signs. He’s been with us for five (slightly unusual) months so we thought we’d catch up with him. Ed is responsible for the construction team and it’s his job to build and maintain great relationships with our customers so that we understand what you need, and you get to know how just much we can offer. Ed came to us with a BA in Business Management and ten years’ in the industry under his belt and is especially focused on client liaison and product development, both of which help with problem solving – one of the key skills that helped us choose Ed. The rest of our team are already relying on him for his knowledge of the supply chain and for his great relationships with clients. So far, he has worked with some of our high-profile house-building clients; Crest, Berkeley Homes, St George, St James and Thakeham. See our Property Brochure to find out more on this market sector. Ed says, ‘It’s been a strange few months but I’m really pleased I was able to help the team during lockdown and I managed to drive sales even then. There’s a real team spirit at Reade and I feel like I’m a big part of that already.’ Outside of work, Ed enjoys countryside walks with the family, watching football and rugby and he likes to turn his hand at a bit of cooking and DIY. You can get in touch with Ed at edh@readesigns.com or give him a call on 01252 336000 or07471 518028.

Since Reade Signs was founded in 1980, the once time-intensive craft of sign writing has changed beyond recognition. Hand-made signs have morphed into large-format branded graphics produced using the latest printing technology. Hand tooling has been replaced by CNC machines. And health and safety requirements mean ladders are out and cherry pickers are in. Here, we look back at the early days of Reade Signs and reflect on what has – and hasn’t – changed about the signage industry. £100 and a few tins of paint Andy Reade, CEO, founded Reade Signs from his spare bedroom with £100, a few tins of paint and a couple of sheets of plywood. After leaving school he became an apprentice sign writer for a local one-man-band sign company, eventually moving to the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough. A lack of fulfilling work spurred Andy into action and he started to take extra jobs at the weekends and evenings, soon building a customer base and eventually setting up on his own. Sign writing is a true skill. In the early days, Andy hand-painted timber signs, shop front fascia signs, vehicles and all types of different surfaces, including glass, painted timber and metal using specialist paints and traditional techniques. There were cut vinyl letter systems available, but back in the 1980s, these systems were basic with limited fonts and slow production times. However, the systems improved quickly, and the writing was literally on the wall for hand painted signage as a mass production method. During the first three years, Andy moved from back-bedroom to garden workshop crafting signs for shop fronts, vehicles, job boards, builders and pubs – enjoying the variety of jobs and clients. As the business grew, Andy took on an apprentice himself and after ten years, Reade Signs moved to its first premises in Ash Vale, followed by several more moves as the business quickly expanded. Roots and wings It was during this time that Andy Fergus Smith joined, bringing a complementary set of skills to the team to help the company grow. Originally a graphic designer, he ran his own screen print business for 12 years before joining Reade Signs in 2002 as production manager. He was involved in graphic design, account management, operational and general management before becoming Director and shareholder in 2008. In 2003, Reade Signs moved to its current two-floor office space and factory at Holder Road in Aldershot. At the time there were 15 employees, and this has now grown to over 40; with specialist teams bringing wide-ranging skills, qualifications and knowledge and including some loyal, long-standing employees and members of the Reade family. Rapid developments in technology meant that sign writing evolved and expanded. The lines blurred between print and sign making and the possibilities for large format outdoor graphics to suit all budgets opened up new markets for sign makers. Full colour, photographic printing onto vinyl was a real breakthrough. All of a sudden you’d see images on vehicles, building site hoardings and temporary banners, where previously it would have been prohibitively expensive to have graphics on these platforms. Direct-to-media flatbed printers marked the next step enabling bigger, faster and higher quality printing onto substrates as diverse as ply and glass. Reade Signs invested in direct-to-media technology in the mid noughties and as the company continued to grow, so did the size of the clients. It was the booming property sector that Reade Signs really gained expertise in and today site signage, hoarding, marketing suites and directional signage remain at the core of our offering. The signage industry – what’s changed 1. Signage rebranded The signage industry has changed beyond recognition and the terminology used has had a bit of a rebrand in recent years; signage is now seen as a core channel in the marketing mix and an important part of achieving brand consistency. Knowledge of marketing and brands is vital to understand unique brand requirements and innovate. It’s frequently referred to as large scale brand implementation, brand activation, wayfinding or large format branding… or just plain signage. 2. Super graphics Sign making has always been a craft, but in terms of scale, the industry has blossomed. There are very few screen printers and only a handful of artisan sign writers today; work centres more around implementation and management of projects, with multiple stakeholders and suppliers. From local beginnings, clients now come from all over the country. A baffling array of different formats are available for all types of signage, banners, hoarding, events and exhibition graphics, retail branding, vehicle graphics and marketing suites. Professional, quality signage is now available to any organisation and to suit any budget. The art of sign-making still requires a specialist skill-set, but the skills needed are very different. 3. Specialists – all under one roof Over the years, as sign requirements reached a larger scale, a finished sign would require several specialists at different points throughout the process. You’d get the signage artwork agreed, then go to a sign writer, then an artist for the pictorial part, then you might go to a screen printer.  Now, technology and an expert in-house team means this is all under one roof. We have a large pool of skills, qualifications and knowledge from a team expert at quoting, sourcing and project managing to meet client demands and be increasingly competitive. 4. Choice and demands As larger companies and brands realised the importance of making a splash with signage, expectations become higher and lead times got shorter. Reade Signs now works with so many more materials – it’s not just ply and paint – there are hundreds of materials that can create different effects to represent a brand and grab the audience’s attention. It used to take weeks to apply undercoat, paint the ply, route-out posts – it was all quite laborious.  But now, full colour capabilities mean we have no constraints – we can print onto almost any material. Last year we produced six miles of panels for property developers, handled

Last week I made my way to Leicester with my colleague Marc Kisko to attend the British Sign Awards 2018. The awards celebrate some truly remarkable achievements that demonstrate the wealth of skills and creativity that make the British sign industry world class. Marc, who is 22 and has been with Reade Signs for four years, was shortlisted for the Young Sign Maker of the Year category. And I’m absolutely thrilled that he won the award! From the outset, Marc has shown dedication; he completed his apprenticeship in 12 months – instead of the usual 18 – and demonstrated real development and problem-solving skills ever since. This approach has continued throughout Marc’s time at Reade Signs. It is his attitude that really drives him forward. Marc is a naturally quiet and reserved person, so it’s understandable that coming in to join an established team might be daunting. However, Marc has really demonstrated a thirst for knowledge, a drive for personal development and he works brilliantly as part of our team. Marc has continued to learn and recently trained to use our state-of-the-art EFI Vutek LX3 Pro printer. Amira Bouchiba from CMYUK, who trained Marc told us: “Marc has been what I would call ‘the perfect student’… although he was not my only trainee, Marc stood out.” Since qualifying, he’s really made this his mission and pushed himself ahead. This epitomises the drive and flexibility that has been at the core of the growth of Reade Signs and our founder, Andy Reade’s philosophy since he started his career as an apprentice sign writer. Marc recently met MP, Leo Docherty, who visited us to learn more about Reade Signs and how we develop apprentices. Marc’s younger brother Kyle has also completed his Sign Makers apprenticeship with us, and our Assistant Account Manager, Jerome True has recently finished his Business Administration apprenticeship. I’ve been thrilled by the rapid progress made by Marc. He’s just got his head down and got on with it. He is very conscientious and a pleasure to work with. Congratulations from all of us at Reade Signs! “The Young Signmaker of the Year award is designed to highlight how vital training and apprenticeships are to the sign industry. Young people are the future of the industry and unless we provide them with the right training, the industry will struggle in the years to come. This year, we had a record entry for the award, demonstrating that enlightened companies continue to invest in young people, but it is essential that more sign businesses follow their lead. Our congratulations to Marc and to Reade Signs for showing the way.” David Catanach, BSGA Director.

It’s been a big year for Reade Signs. We’ve produced everything from pearlescent vinyl hoarding, contemporary marketing suites, giant mesh banners and concrete and steel canal side benches, hospital wayfinding and Santa’s grotto! And we’ve worked with some fantastic clients on exciting property and architectural projects, including: Linden Homes, Salford City Council, Berkeley Group, Dartford Borough Council, NHS and L&Q. Our team has expanded, with 17 new team members and we’ve certainly been keeping ourselves busy: We’ve produced an incredible 32,146 feet (that’s six miles!) of panels for property developers Our production team has handled over 2,500 jobs Every day we have up to 20 installers out on the road In our busiest week, we ramped up 730 installation hours We’ve worked with a huge variety of materials and formats – from ACM to acrylic, stencil cut to scaffold banners and vinyl to vitreous enamel And we’ve travelled approximately 127,920 miles on clients’ behalf to ensure our signs look great once installed. Next year, we’ll be ramping up our work using our shiny new EFI VUTEk LX3 Pro printer! This is a great investment for us and we’re excited about the difference it’ll make for clients: even larger formats, higher resolutions, powerful LED technology. This will mean superb quality, quicker turnaround and the ability to print on new and unique materials. In the new year, look out for our newsletter, Sign Language, as we’ll be sharing our best-practice advice, highlighting the latest in innovative formats, showcasing some of the projects we’ve been working on and including the odd special offer. Thank you to everyone we’ve worked with in 2017; we’ve really enjoyed the variety of different projects and we look forward to creating more striking signs and helping clients to stand out in 2018!

Good weather and excellent company made for a great day when the Reade Team and other contractors joined Berkeley Southern at their annual karting event at Sandown Park on Thursday 15th June to support the Berkeley Foundation. The day didn’t come without its dramas, with one Reade Team participant swerving to avoid a collision ahead only to crash into the barrier at high speed. Fortunately he walked away unscathed, and was able to continue with the 3 hour long endurance race. Needless to say the team were feeling a bit tender on Friday! All profits raised were in aid of charity MERU, who build assistive equipment for children and young people with disabilities.