{"id":35018,"date":"2018-02-07T10:31:31","date_gmt":"2018-02-07T15:31:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/?p=35018"},"modified":"2018-02-07T10:31:31","modified_gmt":"2018-02-07T15:31:31","slug":"profile-north-simcoe-signs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.signmedia.ca\/profile-north-simcoe-signs\/","title":{"rendered":"Profile: North Simcoe Signs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Photos courtesy North Simcoe Signs<\/span><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Ginny Mumm
\n<\/strong>North Simcoe Signs, based in Midland, Ont., has been providing signage to various businesses and other organizations in its community for more than 15 years. The secret to its lasting success has been a commitment to production versatility to meet its clients\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to care about two things in this business: your customers and your quality,\u201d says Mike Cillis, founder (pictured).<\/p>\n

A family affair
\n<\/strong>A fourth-generation pressman, Cillis studied at Edmonton\u2019s Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and worked for the Calgary Sun<\/em>. His first experience in the sign industry came when he visited relatives in Toronto; he wanted to spend time with his grandmother in her final months and, while in town, he worked in his brother\u2019s sign shop.<\/p>\n

Later, when he and his wife divorced, Cillis moved with his children to Midland. At the time, he owned a 0.6-m (2-ft) wide vinyl cutter. He began watching for new businesses opening, as they would need new signage. In 2000, he opened the first shop of his own, SunSport Signs, equipped with a used Roland CammJet CJ-70 aqueous inkjet printer\/cutter.<\/p>\n

After growing this business to 12 employees, Cillis sold it and took a five-year sabbatical, starting in 2011, to travel with his family. SunSport Signs continues to operate today.<\/p>\n

When Cillis returned from the sabbatical in 2016, he started up North Simcoe Signs. This business became a family affair, with just four employees. One of them is his son, Ryan, who both works in the business and maintains its presence on social media platforms.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can do a lot with a few talented people and great production equipment,\u201d Cillis explains.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
North Simcoe Signs produces indoor and outdoor signs, window and wall graphics, banners, posters and decals.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From stop signs to band posters
\n<\/strong>Indeed, digital automation has helped North Simcoe Signs become a full-service shop, providing all types of indoor and outdoor signs, window and wall graphics, banners, posters and decals for local restaurants, retail stores, other businesses and civic organizations, along with municipal signage ranging from stop signs to vehicle wraps for the local police and fire departments.<\/p>\n

The shop has also developed something of a sub-specialty by serving the music industry. Cillis, who has played in several 1980s-style \u2018hair bands\u2019 over the years and understands the market from the inside out, produces a wide range of band posters, banners, logos, decals, fridge magnets and other fan giveaways.<\/p>\n

He is particularly proud of his shop\u2019s community involvement, including its work for Tushfest, an annual party and fundraising concert in honour of musician Wayne \u2018Tush\u2019 Tocheniuk, who passed away in 2008. The money raised at the event goes to pay parking fees for patients at Edmonton\u2019s Cross Cancer Institute. North Simcoe Signs donates buttons, stickers and custom graphic \u2018skins\u2019 to help the participating bands outfit their drum kits.<\/p>\n

Return on inkjet investment
\n<\/strong>To maintain his commitment to quality and support his versatility of production, Cillis has come to rely on Roland DGA digital inkjet printing technologies. Specifically, his shop is now working with its fifth Roland machine, a 1.4-m (54-in.) wide TrueVis SG-540 printer\/cutter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin the first four weeks of owning my very first inkjet printer, I generated in sales what the machine had cost me,\u201d he explains. \u201cAfter that, it was a no-brainer. I don\u2019t understand why anybody would buy anything else. Today, everything we print, we print on a Roland.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The shop has developed a sub-specialty by serving the music industry.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While he chose the vendor partly for its reputation for after-sale support for sign shop owners, he says he hopes he will never actually need it, as he just wants his equipment to keep on working.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy printers have been workhorses,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have never had a serious issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keeping up with the hustle
\n<\/strong>Over the years, Cillis has seen many changes in the sign industry, including the development of separate professions for specialized graphic designers and installers.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore, everyone did everything and there were no separate charges for layouts or installs,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

For his own part, he relies on a versatile production department and plenty of hustle to generate sales.<\/p>\n

\u201cSignmaking is a great business,\u201d he says. \u201cIt really connects you to your community. I couldn\u2019t ask for things to be any better.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information, visit www.northsimcoesigns.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

North Simcoe Signs, based in Midland, Ont., has been providing signage to various businesses and other organizations in its community for more than 15 years. The secret to its lasting success has been a commitment to production versatility to meet its clients\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[66,58,41,37,84,78,68,38,86],"tags":[216],"class_list":["post-35018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-features","category-vehicle-graphics","category-wide-format-printed-graphics","category-posters-wide-format-printed-graphics","category-banners","category-sign-shop-profiles","category-wall-graphics","category-window-graphics","tag-ontario","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nProfile: North Simcoe Signs - Sign Media Canada<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"North Simcoe Signs, based in Midland, Ont., has been providing signage to various businesses and other organizations in its community for more than 15 years. 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