- Leading Sign, Graphics and Visual Communications Franchise Also Wins Silver in Annual CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising -

FASTSIGNS International, Inc., the franchisor of FASTSIGNS®, the leading sign, graphics and visual communications franchise, announced today it has been recognized as the Canadian Franchise Association's (CFA) Franchisees' Choice Designation for the ninth consecutive year. Additionally, FASTSIGNS was honored as a silver recipient in the CFA's Awards of Excellence in Franchising in the traditional franchises category.

"The CFA Awards of Excellence and the Franchisees' Choice Designation are the pinnacle of franchise achievement in Canada, and we are honored to once again be recognized as a proven business model and strong investment," said Mark Jameson, CFE, Chief Support and Development Officer at Propelled Brands. "We value our presence in Canada and continue to focus on growing our brand throughout the country by staying true to our mission of providing franchisees with the tools and resources necessary for them to produce high-quality visual communications for their communities. We are beyond thankful for the ongoing support for our FASTSIGNS team over the years and look forward to helping them reach their business goals for years to come."

The Franchisees' Choice Designation is awarded by franchisees who were asked to rate their franchisors in key areas of the franchise business model, including leadership, business planning and marketing, training and support, ongoing operations and the relationship between the franchisee and franchisor. FASTSIGNS currently has 40 centers throughout Canada in markets such as Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver.

"After running an independent business for 22 years, I felt that we needed a better way to promote our services through marketing and bringing more credibility to the business. Knowing FASTSIGNS' authority and prominence in the industry, it was a natural fit," says Ian Nichols, FASTSIGNS owner of an Alberta location. "After the first 3 months of business, I've already been impressed by the support FASTSIGNS provides its franchisees. Everyone is incredibly helpful."

FASTSIGNS is known in the industry for equipping its franchisees with tools vital to securing the ongoing success of each individual location. In addition to the brand's online FASTSIGNS University, FASTSIGNS partners with 1HUDDLE, a workforce-training platform that converts unique training content into science-backed, quick-burst training games that are proven to accelerate workforce productivity.

FASTSIGNS reported exceptional results in 2020, including the signing of over 31 franchise agreements in the U.S and Canada to develop new, co-branded, and conversion centers and the opening of more than 30 locations, including its first center in the Dominican Republic. FASTSIGNS is continuing to target Canada for further franchise development. FASTSIGNS is particularly focused on its co-brand and conversion programs, which help existing business owners add a FASTSIGNS to their store or fully convert their business to a FASTSIGNS franchise. FASTSIGNS has helped countless owners of print shops, photography studios, camera stores, embroidery shops, and more, diversify their product lines and services to meet the growing demand for signs, graphics, and visual communication solutions. Both the co-brand franchise opportunity and conversion can be started with only $15,000 down on the initial franchise fee. FASTSIGNS also offers a special incentive for first responders, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers, sheriffs, and firefighters, which includes a 50% reduction on the franchise fee — a savings of $24,875.

For more information about Propelled Brands, visit propelledbrands.com. To learn about franchise opportunities with FASTSIGNS, contact Mark Jameson ([email protected] or call 214.346.5679).

FASTSIGNS International, Inc. is the leading sign and visual communications franchisor in North America, and is the worldwide franchisor of more than 750 independently owned and operated FASTSIGNS® centers in 9 countries including the United States and Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, Canada, Chile, Grand Cayman, the United Arab Emirates, Malta, the Dominican Republic and Australia (where centers operate as SIGNWAVE®). FASTSIGNS locations provide comprehensive signage and graphic solutions to help companies of all sizes and across all industries attract more attention, communicate their message, promote their products, help visitors find their way and extend their branding across all of their customer touchpoints.

FASTSIGNS is consistently ranked as a top franchise opportunity. Recognized as an invaluable resource for potential franchisees, the Franchise 500® ranks FASTSIGNS as #44 overall — the only sign, graphics, and visual communications franchise to be recognized in the top 100 — for its outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power. In 2021, FASTSIGNS was named one of Franchise Direct's Top 100 Global Franchises and Franchise Gator recognized FASTSIGNS as one of the Top 100 Franchises. In 2020, Entrepreneur magazine named FASTSIGNS a Top Growth Franchise and one of the Top Franchises for Veterans. Additionally, FASTSIGNS was ranked on Franchise Times' annual Top 200+ list and Franchise Business Review named FASTSIGNS one of its Top Franchises for Second Careers and Top Franchises for Veterans. In 2019, the brand was named to America's Best Franchises to Buy list by Forbes magazine. Franchise Business Review has also recognized FASTSIGNS as one of the "Best of the Best" for franchisee satisfaction for the last 10 years, as well as one of its Top 50 Franchises for Women and Top Service Franchises lists in 2019. FASTSIGNS has also received the Canadian Franchise Association Franchisees' Choice for 9 consecutive years.

In 2021, Propelled Brands was formed, the corporate umbrella that includes FASTSIGNS®, SIGNWAVE® in Australia where FASTSIGNS centers operate under the SIGNWAVE brand, and NerdsToGo®, an emerging IT services franchise brand acquired in September 2020. With a focus on business-to-business franchises and the people behind those businesses, Propelled Brands will help each franchise confidently navigate forward based on their unique position, momentum and purpose.

Learn more about sign and graphic solutions or find a location at fastsigns.com. Follow the brand on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/fastsigns, Twitter @FASTSIGNS or Facebook at facebook.com/FASTSIGNS. For information about the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson ([email protected] or call 214.346.5679).