▲ Signs Now worked on signage for South and City College in Birmingham “From the start, I wanted us to stand out by impressing our customers. I remember making a simple ‘park here’ sign for a friend’s party and he was amazed at how quickly we turned his idea into reality,” says Dunphy. “Since then, I’ve felt it’s our mission to impress every customer. Our ethos is still about that; we strive to make every interaction special, from answering the phone promptly to delivering a sign that makes a real impact.” When it comes to what the company produces, there’s a “natural overlap” as Dunphy calls it between print and signage solutions, as is common across the industry. Signs Now offers a range of print, digital signage, design, manufacturing, and installation solutions for everything from shopfronts, internal signs, and largescale projects. Dunphy says: “We’re always looking for new ways to help our customers stand out, whether that’s through traditional signage or the latest digital displays. In the early days, we’d design signs, cut vinyl, and apply it to panels. As technology advanced, we invested in printers and other equipment to be able to manufacture most of our customers’ requirements in-house. One of our fastest growing services is wall art; we created a 64sq m wall graphic of the Albert Docks at night for a global pharmaceutical company’s auditorium in Liverpool, and we produce a lot of wall art for schools and colleges.” When it comes to challenges, Dunphy says the industry is always evolving, and big projects keep them on their toes. A major project in Kingston upon Thames will see Signs Now transform an old building into a variety of entertainment venues which will include a range of internal and external signage, including digital displays. “We’ve set up a digital signage division to support projects like this, offering commercial-grade screens and digital solutions. It’ll be a very big project, but we do like a challenge,” adds Dunphy. The Future’s Bright Signs Now has continued to grow its sales by over 20% since 2020, using 14 fewer staff than before the pandemic. “I never thought it possible” comments Dunphy. “We’ve grown steadily since we started and have expanded our sales almost every year. We’ve moved into new markets and gained clients in many countries internationally through our work producing vinyl graphics for Hilton Hotels as their EMEA signage partner.” Since working with Hilton Hotels, Signs Now has shipped graphics to over 360 hotels across 63 countries, including Vatican City. Dunphy explains that developing national key accounts has been core to the company’s growth. “Over 80% of our sales are now derived from what we call key accounts and that part of our business is growing nicely.” When it comes to retirement, Dunphy says he has no plans to stop, due to his love of the industry, and going into work each day. “I like the challenging projects that really stretch our capabilities, and of course I enjoy the people I work with. Over the 28 years I’ve been able to retain most of our staff and so we have accumulated an increasing amount of knowledge and expertise,” adds Dunphy. When it comes to what Dunphy is most proud of, he cites the company culture as a standout. “From the beginning, I believed that if owners look after staff, staff will look after customers, and customers will look after all of us. Many of our team have been with us for 20 years, with an average tenure of 14 years. When you find good people, you hold onto them and that mutual loyalty has benefited our business enormously.” After seeing many acquisitions not work out, Dunphy says he is keen to keep developing the business organically, focusing on wall art and digital signage. Dunphy concludes: “Our aim is to keep doing what we love. “I plan to live forever!” ▼ [L to R] Billy Dunphy and his wife Therese COMPANY SPOTLIGHT | SIGNS NOW We strive to make every interaction special, from answering the phone promptly to delivering a sign that makes a real impact 36 email: editor@signlink.co.uk Issue 261 - October / November 2025
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