58 BUILD / February 2017 , John Anthony Signs Ltd is a signs and graphics manufacturer established in 1968. Today, the firmhas a reputation for quality, innovation and craftsmanship, hence their strapline ‘Expert knowledge delivered’. We got in touchwith the firm’s Sales &Marketing Director David Fagg to find out more about the firms outstanding levels of craftsmanship. Expert Knowledge Delivered When securing a new client, the firm will assign a project manager to ensure that the project is within budget and completed on time. A thorough process is put in place, where there will be visualisation and technical drawings that the client will need to approve before we can commence work David explains. “So, in other words, nothing is started before it is signed off. We also carry out sampling, to check the colours are correct and also finishes, so the aim is to get the project completed on time and within budget, and exactly as the client is expecting.” “We have excellent quality here at JAS, but our craftsmanship level is outstanding. There have been numerous projects where our competitors have said it is impossible to manufacture the signs, but we are called in because we have the expertise and are able to find a solution. This has happened because we know our materials, product and are experts in our industry. In terms of creating innovative solutions to achieve success, this of course involves craftsman skills David underlines. “Where people say it cannot be made, we believe that it can. Sometimes using the old skills enables things to be manufactured.” This is evident from recent awards which include: • Retail Sign of the Year 2015 • Architectural Sign of the Year 2016 • UK Bespoke Sign Manufacturer 2017 and finalists in 4 other categories in the recent BSGA Awards. “In terms of the level of service, we ensure that the client gets exactly what they want, when they want it. While we are the jewel in the crown, we are not the biggest company out there, but we are very good at undertaking large scale projects nationally and internationally.” The firm’s overall aim is profitability, David goes on to say, so that they can employ their staff and keep the company moving forward. It is very much about winning work and making profit but, added to that, the high quality of the firm’s work means that their clients trust them. Added to that, JAS wants to expand the work it is doing internationally too. One of the firm’s most successful projects to date was a £1.1million contract to clad the walls of the Piccadilly Underpass at Hyde Park Corner, completed in September 2016. The brief of the project was to clad over 2,000 sq.metres at the entrance of the tunnel to Hyde Park Corner. The stainless steel cladding was to enhance the tunnel and create a better environment in readiness for a major media screen installation. To give you an understanding of the scale of the project, it required 18,000 tech screws, 1,600 chemical anchors and over 1,000 stainless steel panels. John Anthony Architectural completed the survey, technical drawings, prototyping, managed, manufactured and installed all of the cladding. The client was indeed thrilled with the end result, as it was completely snag free! “Looking ahead into 2017, I don’t think the market can sustain too much more ‘cost stripping’, as at the end of the day we all have to make profit. There has to be a shift whereby companies realise that they cannot keep ‘slashing each other’s throats’ as it is not good for our industry or for our clients’ businesses. I hope that this ‘commercial savvy’ will continue so that we can all be profitable and stable enough to support our clients’ sign programmes.” “While we plan to work more overseas, we are excited about where JAS is heading and we look forward to another 45 years of trading.” K Company: John Anthony Signs Ltd Name: David Fagg Email:
[email protected] Web Address: www.johnanthonysigns.com Address: Claydons Lane, Rayleigh SS6 7UU, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 1268 777333 1701BU18 “While we are the jewel in the crown, we are not the biggest company out there, but we are very good at undertaking large scale projects nationally and internationally.” Construction