WORKING WITH SUPPLIERS | ROB FLETCHER 81 www.signlink.co.uk Issue 266 - August | September 2026 today are balancing increasing customer expectations with operational efficiency. She sets out how faster turnaround times, rising costs, and resource pressures mean signage companies need suppliers that make doing business easier, not more complicated. But what separates a strong longterm supplier partnership from a purely transactional relationship? Cororan says price will always be a factor, but long-term partnerships are built on trust, consistency, and shared success. “A supplier that delivers reliable quality, communicates openly, and resolves issues, quickly becomes far more valuable than one who simply offers the lowest price,” she comments, continuing: “Strong partnerships are built over time through dependable service and a commitment. Customers want to know that when deadlines are tight, their supplier will deliver exactly as promised and support them if challenges arise. “Ultimately from us, we believe the strongest partnerships will be those built on trust, shared investment, and a commitment to continuous improvement.” Ensuring Consistency Another trade supplier in this area is Venture Banners, whose co-founder and director, Scott Conway, says companies are under pressure to offer a wide range of products at a high print quality with a fast turnaround. However, many are not necessarily in a position to invest in the specialist equipment, materials, or floorspace to be able to respond to this demand – which is where supplier partnerships come into play. “Being able to support businesses in selling large-format print was the reason that Venture Banners started out back in 2009, and it’s still as important to us now as ever,” he says, adding: “We see ourselves as a true partner to our customers, and for us that means reliability, clear communication, sharing our technical knowledge of largeformat print products, providing artwork support, and ensuring consistency across often at short notice, but they may not have the production space, finishing equipment, or specialist knowledge to manage all this in-house. That’s where we come in.” Weighing up what makes a strong partner, Conway says this relationship should be built on trust and reliability. This, he explains, means being honest about what is achievable and communicating early if there is an issue. “If something doesn’t meet our standards or expectations, we work quickly to put it right,” he says, continuing: “By fostering a good working relationship we can support our customers in selling print with confidence, equipped with the necessary understanding and knowledge of the various product options available. It also helps them to grow and expand their offering without taking on unnecessary risk.” Reliability Matters Also in the trade sector is The Sign Group, whose managing director, Grey Hoole, says that buyers no longer want a “boxshipper”, but a manufacturing partner. He explains that while ten or 15 years ago, a lot of the relationship was transactional, nowadays, the conversation starts earlier and goes deeper. “Sign companies, visual media teams, fitout contractors, and agencies we work with come to us with a brief and a problem – not a finished drawing – and they expect us to help them get from one to the other,” he says. “What they expect beyond the product itself is judgement. They want to know what will actually work on the wall, what a finish will do under light, where a design will cause grief in production, and what it will cost before they commit to their own client. They expect us to tell them when something isn’t the right route, and to carry some of the risk with them rather than hand it all back. A supplier that delivers reliable quality, communicates openly, and resolves issues quickly becomes far more valuable than one who simply offers the lowest price ▲Very Displays specialises in highimpact portable display solutions According to research by the British Chambers of Commerce, almost two-thirds of UK firms are affected by skills shortages. Factoid every order. “The biggest challenges that we’re finding our customers are facing currently are around capacity, turnaround times, product complexity, and material choice. Many businesses are being asked for increasingly bespoke large-format work and
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