Craig and Alex Robinson, directors of Ellis Signs
Heralded as the leading signage company in the North East, Blaydon-on-Tyne-based signwriting company Ellis Signs has been perfecting its craft for over forty years. Sign Update assistant editor, Cameron Beech, speaks to Jessie Smith, Ellis Signs’ digital marketing manager, to learn more on the company’s rise to success.
Founded in 1983 in Gateshead by Bernard Ellis, Ellis Signs started out constructing signs for the local estate agents; the business later built on its offerings, beginning to work on larger-scale projects, including shop signs. Just over two decades later, in 2005, the business was purchased by the current director, Craig Robinson, who entered the industry at the age of 16, working as an apprentice for his father, who was himself a sign writer by trade. Another key player who was not unfamiliar to the sign trade, was Craig’s brother, Alex Robinson, whom Craig later brought on as a director to the company. It appears the Robinson brothers have only gone from strength to strength, resulting in the company’s evolution and expansion; with Ellis Signs’ recent move to a purpose built 9,000sq ft unit in Blaydon-on-Tyne, the possibility for exploration and challenge is only growing.
A title to be championed
With the company championing the title of the leading signage company in the North East, Ellis Signs has made a substantial contribution to the signwriting and sign making industries. I asked Jessie in what ways Ellis Signs was proud of the accolade, given its foundations in Gateshead and its expansion in Blaydon-on-Tyne, to which Jessie spoke of the pride in working with local businesses, engaging with the new generation, and valuing its customers. Jessie explained: “We work with a huge range of clients, all the from local businesses opening their first shop to blue chip clients such as Superdrug and Moss. We are proud to have grown from our humble beginning in Gateshead to where we are at now.
“We are currently taking on apprentices to inspire the next generation of sign makers. At Ellis Signs, our reviews speak volumes. Excellent customer service is at the forefront of what we do – we thrive on giving all our customers the best experience possible.”
Techniques, trends, and triumphs
Given Ellis Signs’ 40-year history in the trade, I asked Jessie what key sign making methods the company used and to what benefit these had; Jessie spoke of the company fusing the old with the new; the classic with the contemporary. Jessie explained: “We use traditional old school methods such as acrylic bending and metal fabrication for built up letter making while fusing that with new technologies such as our CNC router, fibre laser and digital flatbed printer.
“This allows us to create a vast range of signage from our purpose-built premises and manufacture everything in-house, which lets us oversee and control the entire manufacturing process.”
Superdrug Westfield Stratford
From its fusion of techniques and technologies, Ellis Signs has completed a standout number of projects. From undertaking work for retail brands such as Moss, Build-a-Bear Workshop, and White Stuff, to completing work for the Newcastle-based bar, The Vampire Rabbit, North-Shields’ based martial arts school, Tempest Martial Arts, and The Harrison Theatre, the scope of what Ellis Signs is capable of is hardly limited. With this vast scope in mind, I asked Jessie what has been one of the company’s most rewarding projects. Jessie highlighted the company’s sign installation for the expansion of the Superdrug’s flagship shop in Westfield, Stratford. She explained: “Working together with the client’s architect, property and implementation teams the store has extended across the two vacant neighbouring units delivering a new 9500sq ft sales floor from the previous 5,000sq ft, making it the largest Superdrug store in the country.”
Caged LED neon sign for Olympia Leisure, Scarborough
Equally, I wanted to know if the company had any standout projects from their portfolio, to which Jessie mentioned a project the company completed for Olympia Leisure. She explained: “One of our standout projects from the past year has been Olympia Leisure. Olympia is an amusements and entertainment venue in Scarborough, and Ellis Signs worked in collaboration with Bartlett ID to create a range of eye catching and stunning signs. This project was heavily LED based, which we have seen surge in popularity over the past year. One of the showstopping signs we manufactured and installed was the Everyone’s A Winner Baby sign, which featured pink LED neon, housed inside a gold powder coated aluminium box with a mesh cage fitted over the top.”
With everything above considered in conjunction with Ellis Signs being heralded as the leading signage company of the North East, it seemed I was in good company to ask if there were any current trends Ellis Signs was noticing within the industry. Jessie answered making note of the rise of LED neon signage: “We have noticed one of the biggest trends recently has been LED neons. They are an ideal, environmentally alternative to traditional glass neon signs. The design possibilities are endless when it comes to LED neon signs, plus they are Instagramable. We have had several projects where we have manufactured mesh cages to fit over the LED neon signs in order to replicate the retro look of glass neon.”
It was interesting that Jessie brought up the value of Instagramability, given the company’s rising popularity across social media.
Building a social media empire
Jessie Smith, digital marketing director, with Vampire Rabbit LED neon sign
Amassing a following of over 80,000 across the social media platforms Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X, Ellis Signs uniquely positions itself in the market with its delightfully light-hearted and insightful personality across the various social media sites.
I was keen to ask Jessie in what ways had this mass following helped and encouraged business at Ellis Signs, to which Jessie explained the correlation between building a strong presence on social media, and being the customer’s first resort. Jessie said: “We have been consistently posting every day on social media for over three years now which has allowed us to build a strong community. Having a strong social media presence has allowed us to be the first port of call for many businesses who in the market for new signage.
“A lot of signage companies have a serious, corporate presence within the industry and we like to set ourselves apart by having a more relaxed, friendly approach which can make what is initially a daunting process more enjoyable for the customer.
“Using tongue-in-cheek Instagram captions gives us a relatable image. We also use LinkedIn to our advantage by using personal branding. We always post our completed projects on our company pages, but have found using employee pages have helped reached a wider audience and allowed us to post about all different aspects of day-to-day life at Ellis, from surveying all the way to installation. This also shows that there are people behind the brand and that we are not just a faceless company.”
This linked on nicely to my question of who the content was being tailored towards. Jessie explained: “Through our various social media channels, we reach a variety of different audiences from sign makers to clients. Sharing the behind the scenes of our sign making processes allows us to show that everything is done in-house. Seeing that all of our signage is made in-house can be appealing to customers as it demonstrates how we are able to control every stage of the process.”
While the Ellis Signs TikTok and Instagram accounts post behind the scenes content exploring the varying areas of sign making, with titles such as ‘3D Letter Fabrication’, ‘Vehicle Graphic Installation’, and ‘Flame Polishing Acrylic’, each delving into the intricacies of sign making within that area, they also tell another story. With its myriads of posts showcasing the company’s impressive portfolio of electrifyingly vibrant LED neon signs, Ellis Signs equally puts effort into displaying the beauty and artistry which can be found within signage and sign making. Ellis Signs serves as a perfect example of a company brining its work to life.
This was also shown when I asked Jessie what her favourite thing about her job was, and she answered: “My favourite thing about my job is being able to create content and share the signage we manufacture at Ellis Signs from beginning to end. I also enjoy communicating with customers and helping them bring their vision to life for their signage.” The essence of bringing something to life is not only deeply rooted in the work of Ellis Signs, but also within the company’s team.
Looking to the future
Everyone’s a winner baby caged LED neon sign at Olympia Leisure, Scarborough
With no sign of the company slowing pace any time soon, I ended by asking Jessie where she envisioned the company would be in five years’ time. Jessie explained the company had plans to expand its portfolio, incorporating the latest technologies and to work more sustainably. She said: “Our development plan includes adding another high street retailer to our business portfolio while continuing a steady growth in sales.
“We are also continuing to expand our in-house operations by using the latest manufacturing methods and state-of-the-art technologies, with our latest addition being a fibre laser cutter, allowing us to control all the manufacturing processes in-house. Plans are also in to add extra 2000sq ft additional assembly area to cater for our upwards trajectory winning big clients.”
Jessie then continued to explain the company’s goals towards acting sustainably. She explained: “Over the last few years there has been a huge emphasis on going green. We have started to implement greener practises such as managing our waste recycling better, we have swapped a lot of our products to greener alternatives and invested in solar panels. We hope to implement more green practises in the next few years.”
After listening to the company’s mapping of its goals for the short-term future, it was clear to see the company is destined for long-term prosperity.
