Opinions vary as to how many years it takes a business to become profitable.
Brandon Galandy earned $26,000 in his first year of operating Hi-lite Signs in Comox. Last year, his operation generated close to a half- million.
Over the past year, Galandy has added three employees, and opened a separate print office on Cliffe Avenue in Courtenay.
He started Hi-lite Signs about eight years ago on Anderton Road in Comox. His company fabricates and installs signs at businesses throughout the Comox Valley and all across the Island. Jobs have included LED message boards for SD68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) and the City of Nanaimo, and wayfinding signs for the Town of Comox. His team also manufactured and installed most of the signage at the Comox Mall.
“We do national brands on behalf of Pattison (for example). And we just did all the new Landmark Cinema signage,” Galandy said. “We are a full service sign company.”
His team uses a CNC cutter for manufacturing and fabrication along with a cutter and large format printer for prints, decals and wraps. The printer and cutter can cut adhesive vinyl, among other materials, used for signs, banners, billboards, walls and cars.
Maintenance calls are also part of the services offered.
“We’re here to help,” Galandy said. “We have an aerial bucket lift that we use to reach the higher signs.”
“We’re taking on different jobs, and Hi-lite Signs remains the only CSA (Canadian Standards Association) certified sign shop in the Comox Valley,” he added. “So we’re the only ones that can build electric signs in the Valley — legally, officially and certified.”