Signarama Troy/Metro Detroit attracts international accolades for community support efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and for their team’s exceptional performance.
When Signarama Troy/Metro Detroit’s team heard about a lack of personal protection equipment in Detroit-area hospitals and nursing homes, they took action to support the community.
The locally owned sign shop’s crew retooled their sign-making equipment to make face shields. The business donated materials to doctors, nurses and caregivers. They created signs thanking essential workers and placed those outside of medical centers, grocery stores and other places of essential business.
“My wife and I heard from nurses about the PPE shortage. They were scared and exhausted. We wanted to help and just do the right thing,” said Signarama Troy/Metro Detroit’s President Bob Chapa, who credits wife Melissa Chapa with spearheading their effort. “Our Signarama Troy/Metro Detroit team was 100-percent on board. We’d fabricate equipment, load up my truck with the PPE and drop boxes off outside of the hospital.”
Signarama Troy/Metro Detroit’s actions to “just do the right thing” have led to international recognition.
Out of 850 locations in more than 55 countries, the Detroit-area sign shop earned the top Signarama Globally award for Community Outreach with their efforts to produce PPE equipment during the COVID pandemic.
“We did it because the world was in emergency mode and our team looked for ways we could help. Recognition was the furthest thing on my mind at the time,” Chapa said. “But after such a wild year, I’m thankful that Signarama Troy/Metro Detroit’s efforts were noticed and appreciated.”
Those care-based connections in spring 2020 evolved into Signarama Troy/Metro Detroit fulfilling in-demand business safety needs for many front-line industries — healthcare, food service, factories and more — during the pandemic and throughout America’s re-opening, which cultivated relationships with new clients and helped Chapa’s team set a new Signarama global franchise record with the highest revenue sales systemwide for 2021.
Thanks to that achievement, Signarama Globally honored Signarama Troy/Metro Detroit with an Overall Achievement Award — which is presented to franchises that stand out in customer service, store appearance and performance — and, for the fourth consecutive year, named the Michigan-based business as a Most Valuable Player for the entire franchise system internationally.
On the team, four customer service representatives also were honored with Salesperson of the Year awards: Renee Wenner, Haley Martinez, Marissa Lesch and Lindsay Dyja. Dyja was named the highest-producing sales representative worldwide for Signarama, which has franchise locations across five continents.
“Signarama Troy/Metro Detroit has an experienced team who quickly shifted to give our customers what they needed. We reached out to let clients know we had the ability to make sneeze guards, branded curbside pickup signs, signage to direct traffic for outdoor testing sites, and more,” Chapa said. “We looked at the resources and expertise we had and pivoted. Innovation is essential when up against unprecedented times like these. It’s also important to understand what people need and deliver it.”
The Signarama Troy/Metro Detroit crew worked around the clock to quickly produce quality essential signage for re-opening like social distancing floor graphics or COVID safety signs. Understanding that businesses need to be open to make money, they’d waive down payments for these materials.
Chapa said he recalls the hardships he experienced as a business owner during the Great Recession and knows how important support is during tough times. And his team is ready to provide what’s needed to guide hardworking people through 2021 and into the future.
“I’ve been there, so I can feel the weight of difficult decisions and hard times. I’ve also learned in my 20-plus years in business that the greatest success comes after the most trying times. We had to do what we could to help get employees and customers back into places of business,” he said. “By supporting our clients and their businesses, we are supporting families in our community. Successful businesses create thriving communities. It’s all part of a bigger picture.”
Signarama Troy / Metro Detroit, 5875 New King Ct, Suite 100 in Troy, Mich., is a one-stop shop for all things signage. For 25 years, the community-focused business with global reach has worked to build and protect your brand through sharing expert advice, creating quality products and providing exceptional customer service.
