Signs Express has sold its Northwest Kent & Southeast London centre in Dartford to new owner-operator Sam Arundell.
Signs Express has completed the sale of its Northwest Kent and Southeast London centre to new franchisee Sam Arundell. Based at the Parker Knight Industrial Centre in Dartford, the production facility previously operated under company ownership before the ownership transfer went through on 30 September.
The Dartford branch opened in 1992, making it one of the longest-running locations in the national Signs Express network. The unit produces exterior signs, shopfront fascias, vehicle graphics, van wraps, and wide-format digital print for trade and commercial customers across Dartford, Bexley, Sidcup, Crayford, Welling, and Greenwich. Longstanding staff members Miles and Greg will stay with the business to manage day-to-day production.
Managing Director of Signs Express Limited, Jonathan Bean, commented, “We’re thrilled to welcome Sam to the Signs Express network. His enthusiasm, entrepreneurial mindset and genuine interest in the signage industry have been clear from the outset, and we’re excited to see the energy and ambition he will bring to Signs Express NW Kent & SE London. The centre has a fantastic heritage and an experienced team in place, and we look forward to supporting Sam as he builds on those foundations and takes the business into its next chapter.”
Arundell brings an engineering background to the role and plans to invest in new machinery as the order book expands. Ahead of taking over the site, he joined colleagues from the Signs Express head office and trade supplier Papergraphics on an equipment tour to HP’s graphics facility in Barcelona to review wide-format print hardware.
Franchisee of Signs Express NW Kent & SE London, Sam Arundell, added, “The more time I’ve spent around Signs Express, the more I’ve come to really like what the business is about. There’s a warmth to it, a real pride in what we produce and, ultimately, it’s about helping other businesses look their best. For our customers, it’s very much business as usual. We’ll continue to offer the personal service people know us for, while bringing in new ideas, investing in what we do and expanding what we can offer.”
The sale forms part of a wider franchise development programme at Signs Express, which is working to place company-owned branches into private ownership while recruiting new operators and established sign businesses into its UK network.