Read All About It - Sign 2000 Delivers For Smiths News | 16 Mar 2007 |
Following the recent financial restructuring of WH Smiths its news wholesale distribution arm, Smiths News (as opposed to its retail outlets), required to undertake a rebrand in order to emphasise its stand-alone operation.
A number of sign manufacturing companies were invited to tender and Sign 2000 of Paddock Wood in Kent, was successful.
In all a total of some 45 sites will be rebranded as the newly independent news wholesaler continues to lead the market.
Smiths News operates warehouses throughout England and Wales and is the leading news wholesaler with approximately 39% of the market. It has 4,200 employees and uses around 1,400 contractors. The business operates 24 hours a day, 364 days a year. Smiths News generated £33 million profit from operating revenues of £1,187million in the year ended 31st August 2005.
Smiths News distributes newspapers and magazines for publishers and strives to maximise sales and minimise returns by a programme of sales development activities.
Similarly, Smiths News helps the retailer to maximise his sales of titles by providing sales development activities, marketing support, sales data, range and space allocation advice, shop refitting and merchandising.
It is a highly competitive market and one where brand image is important, hence the swift move to rebrand their warehouses.
Dave Chamberlain, Smiths News's Central Services Support Manager, comments, "Our objective was to rationalise our signage throughout the estate and ensure that a consistent message reflecting our brand values is given out."
Smiths News chose Sign 2000 as they had worked with them before prior to the demerger and therefore knew the quality of their work. They were also confident that Sign 2000 had the capabilities to project manage the rebrand themselves and successfully complete on time and within budget.
The majority of the project rolled out between December and January commencing with the major sites and followed by the smaller ones.
Sign 2000 quickly surveyed the sites and produced design drawings utilising
CAD equipment that superimposed suggested designs on digital images of the existing properties and supplied full manufacturing details for sign off before any manufacturing took place. A prototype installation was done at Smiths News's Slough site and was approved by the company.
The production process required to create the new Smiths News identity involved forming aluminium back tray boxes by brake press folded to the required size. The package for these large warehouse sites includes building suitably large illuminated ID signs, monoliths and signage for car park and reception areas.
Bearing in mind that Smiths News is an all day/all year round operation Sign 2000 had to demonstrate great operational flexibility in order to complete the project without causing any hiccups to the Smiths News business.
But just like Smiths News themselves, Sign 2000 prides themselves on being able to deliver.
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Sign 2000
Leys Industrial Park
Maidstone Road
Paddock Wood
Tonbridge, Kent
TN12 6QJ
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