A SIGNAGE company has invested £150,000 in new machinery after seeing sales soar nationwide by 60% in the past two years.

Gateshead-based Jonsigns Ltd has doubled its workforce from 15 to 30 after moving from its former 6,500sqft facility at Saltmeadows Road to a nearby 16,500sqft site to help it cope with a huge increase in shop sign orders from some of its retail customers.

These include orders from discount store chain 99p Stores, bookmaker William Hill, Farm Foods, Sunderland Football Club and Grainger Games.

New clients are both UK and overseas-based and contracts cover both exterior and interior signage, plus support.

With the addition of new metal working and printing machines in their fabrication and digital printing departments, Jonsigns can increase productivity, handle larger contracts and work to tighter deadlines.

Managing director Jonathan Cawthorn firmly believes good signage will sell a company and has a huge impact on its image.

He said: “The Jonsigns ethos is to manufacture locally within our region with a centrally controlled single point of contact.

“Our quality control and production teams work closely with each department to ensure the highest quality.

“This solution has attracted a significant interest from a number of organisations as it minimises logistics, local client operative’s deal with local manufacturers, eliminating any warranty issues.”