Welcome back to Meet the Makers, a series that takes a playful, engaging approach to showcasing the personalities and expertise of sign pros while staying rooted in the signage industry.

This week, we feature Carl Weger, President and CEO of Sleek Signs. With decades of experience, a past presidency of both the Saskatchewan Sign Association and the Sign Association of Canada, and a leadership style rooted in empathy, Weger has helped shape signage across the Prairies and beyond. From high-stakes tower wraps to textured murals on historic buildings, his work blends business savvy with creative grit, always grounded in care for his 50-plus-member team.

Here are his answers to our five offbeat questions.

What’s your sign superpower?

Empathy! I feel like the greatest thing a person can do is put themselves in the shoes of someone else. If you can consider the point of view of your team, your customers, your suppliers, and your stakeholders, you will make more thoughtful and informed decisions.

What’s the most challenging project you’ve worked on?

The 2022 Grey Cup tower wrap project was the most demanding, prestigious, and stressful project I’ve been a part of. Although we had done similar projects twice before in the past, this one was certainly the most high-pressure and demanding. We went from contract award to completion in just under one month. Two towers wrapped in almost 929 m² (10,000 sf) in only seven days on the glass! The timelines were unreasonable, the weather unpredictable, and our team was unbeatable!

What’s a favourite sign or sign system you’ve created?

I feel like the Good Wingman Mural always has a special place in my heart. We had limited time to complete the project in only a couple of weeks, from concept to completion. The installation was on a brick face on a heritage building, so we had to balance not damaging the building with not having the mural fall off. And finally, I just loved the look, the texture, the images, and the message… it was a proud moment.

If signage could talk, what’s the funniest thing a sign has ever ‘said’ to you?

What’s the official language of the Sign Association? Sign language…. I kid, I kid!

What’s the one piece of signage advice you wish everyone knew?

Not all opportunities are good business. Pick your lane, perfect your process, and position yourself for profit. If you do everything, you can’t possibly do it better than others who specialize. Fire bad customers, invest in your people, and know your numbers. You can always win the race to the bottom, but you won’t like the prize.

Here’s to celebrating the industry’s creative minds! See you next time.