Opening its doors on December 28th was the first FastSigns franchise store to set up in Kitchener, Ont., ready to offer a full range of sign and graphics solutions to local area businesses.
Owned and operated by Rob Richmond, the Kitchener FASTSIGNS shop is one of over 20 FastSigns centers located 
across Canada.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to finally be opening our doors after all the time we spent preparing,” said Richmond in a release announcing the new opening. “After working as a GM in the manufacturing industry for the past 20 years, I am happy to own my own business.”
A resident of Burlington, Ont., Richmond and his team, consisting Trisha Ward (customer service representative) and Brad Ronald (graphic designer), traveled to Dallas in early December for a two-week course on the signs and graphics business.
The FastSigns chain, founded in Dallas, dates back to 1985. Today the operation has over 550 locations around the world and is owned by the Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark Capital Group. Roark also owns franchise chains such as Cinnabon, Pet Value retail stores and Seattle’s Best Coffee cafes.
Pictured above (left to right): Brad Ronald, Rob Richmond and Trisha Ward.
