21 December 2017
It’s almost Christmas which signals the end of another year, and what a busy 12 months it’s been for the team here at Allen Signs!
Not only have we invested in two state-of-the-art machines, but we’ve also taken on several new members of staff. Amanda Barnett joined us in March as a sales administrator booking in and progressing jobs and liaising between the sales and production teams to help keep customers as informed and up to date as possible. Along with Michael Gray and Chris Allen, who also joined us this year, she’s proved to be a great addition to the team.
In May we were delighted to sponsor the Lincoln Criterium, part of the Lincoln Festival of Cycling weekend which culminated in the Lincoln Cycle Grand Prix. We’ve also supported the local community by sponsoring one of the Lincoln Knights and helping to raise nearly £180,000 for the Nomad Trust. And in November we sponsored the Physical Activity Award (won by Lincoln Parkrun) at the annual Lincolnshire Sports Awards.
We’re now putting in place our business strategy for the next 10 years (we like to plan ahead!) and want to continue growing the business, which is one of the reasons why we purchased the new kit. In February we bought a EFI H1625 LED flatbed printer which can handle materials up to two inches thick including wood, glass, plastic, textiles, hardboard and MDF. However, we knew this was only part of the story and in April took delivery of our new Protek Unico TT digital cutter and router. Our total investment in new kit this year alone is in the region of £250,000!
This has enabled us to undertake more events and exhibition work, which is an area of the business we’re keen to develop. Recently we were commissioned to design and build an 8m x 4m exhibition stand in partnership with The Energy Cell for one of their clients. The stand included a reception and a large seating area incorporating a flat screen TV. Now we’re creating our own 6m x 3m stand for the Lincolnshire Business Expo in January which is going to be epic! We’re keeping the plans under wraps for now, but we can confirm we’re partnering up with the Lincoln Tea & Coffee Company for the second year running so we’ll be keeping everyone topped up on caffeine!
Following these latest developments our business has become much more than a signage and vehicle livery company and, although these remain two core areas of our business, we’re taking on a lot more design and print.
Next year looks like being just as eventful as we take Allen Signs to the next stage in our business development strategy. We’ve already got some exciting plans in the pipeline but before we go any further I think it’s time for a well earned break!
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our staff for their hard work during 2017 and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
