Damian Named Young Signmaker of the Year
A Lincolnshire signmaker, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, is popping the champagne corks once again this time in recognition of one of its youngest employees.
Allen Signs’ Production Manager Damian Jacobs (24), who joined the firm as an apprentice in 2010, won the Young Sign Maker of the Year award at the British Sign Awards on Thursday (3rd November).
Managing Director David Allen said he’s really proud of what Damian has achieved in a short amount of time: “To go from a trainee to a manager in six years is a massive achievement and a testament to Damian’s commitment and desire to not just meet but exceed our expectations.
“Over the years he has consistently done this, not least by becoming one of the first in the UK to complete the Sign Making Level 3 Apprenticeship course. Regardless of the size or nature of the client job he is managing, Damian always ensures everything runs to plan, often working long hours, and does so with a smile on his face.”
Damian received his award during a ceremony at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham in front of an audience of his peers and leading industry figures from the British Sign & Graphic Association (BSGA).
“I was honoured to have been nominated by David and even more delighted when I found out I’d won,” said Damian. “I really enjoy my job and appreciate the amount of responsibility I have been given at a relatively young age.
“I hope I can continue to impress and look forward to celebrating my award win with my colleagues; I couldn’t have won this award without them.”
Allen Signs was also shortlisted for Roll-out Programme of the Year at the British Sign Awards for a three-year project it’s been working on with the Lincolnshire Co-op. They narrowly missed out on the award, instead receiving a highly commended.
David explained: “In 2013 we were appointed by Lincolnshire Co-op to rebrand its 200 supermarkets, pharmacies, florists, travel agencies and funeral homes across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and North Norfolk.
“This has been a challenging project to work on because of the large number of sites but very rewarding. All of the sites were different so we had to survey and price each one and design and install the signs on a store-by-store basis.”
Commenting on the project, Lincolnshire Co-op’s Marketing and Membership Manager Laura Dunn said: “Allen Signs developed an excellent relationship with our small brand rollout team and established efficient processes very early on in the project.
“Colleagues from all areas of the business have remarked on how streamlined the rollout has been, with little involvement required from anyone outside the core team. Staff and customers have been really positive at every site we have rebranded.
“We are delighted to be at the end of a three-year programme and with the results overall.”
Ends
Notes to Editors:
• Allen Signs was first established in 1965 by David Allen’s father Barry and has a head office on Whisby Way in North Hykeham, Lincoln and an office in Knight & Whitehall House on Carlton Street, Nottingham.
• The business provides a complete sign, display and vehicle livery solution from concept and design through to final installation and maintenance.
• In July 2015 Allen Signs bought the printing division of Double Red which now operates independently under the slightly modified name of Double Red Print Limited.
• To find out more about Allen Signs call 01522 501500, visit the website www.allen-signs.co.uk or follow them on Twitter @Allen_Signs
For more information about this news release please contact:
Kate Strawson
Shooting Star
Tel: 01522 528540
