World Environment Day

A COMPANY supplying local authorities across the UK with environmentally-friendly street signs hopes to double its number of clients in the next year.

After agreeing five new deals with council areas since March, Stockton-based N Sign Limited now supplies 45 local authorities including Darlington, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool and Hambleton, in North Yorkshire.

Company owner Alun Pearson, who came up with the idea for the signs made from recycled plastic, is confident of securing significantly more customers in the next 12 months.

He said: “It is growing all the time. I believe we could at least double the number of local authorities and have 90 by this time next year.

“A lot of the councils now have sustainability officers and this is perfect for them.”

Mr Pearson said that N sign, which has a patent pending on its product, is the only company in the country making the signs.

He said they could prevent tens of thousands of tonnes of plastic going into landfill each year.

Having founded the company, with one employee, nine years ago, Mr Pearson started by making steel street signs, but realised there was a gap in the market for something new.

He said: “I started looking at recycled signage because the market was pretty sewn up with the steel plates, and thought how to get into the other councils and that’s when I came up with the plastic idea.

“It would be recycled plastic, so the councils were really into it.”

The signs, made with hard injection moulded plastic, now account for ten to 15 per cent of the firm’s business.

It recently refitted and moved into the disused Portrack Conservative Club, in Stockton, a 10,000sq ft premises.

It employs 20 people and turnover for the next year is expected to top £1m.

Its diverse sign portfolio includes standard work such as van liveries and shop fronts, through to industrial engraving and trophies.

It also created a huge digital print for one of the Teesside University buildings and is working on road signs for the Wilton plant to Highways Agency specifications.

The company is also responsible for the signs at the Riverside Stadium, in Middlesbrough.