Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Lafuente.
Andrew, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started working in the sign industry when I was twelve years old. After I graduated from Bentley University in 2012, I decided to stay in the industry and began working for a local sign company in the Greater Boston Area. In the Summer of 2015, the owner and I had a disagreement on the direction of the company and we went our separate ways. I spent the next 9 months taking some time off to enjoy the summer and worked two jobs in sales that didn’t work out.
Finally, I looked myself in the mirror and said to myself: I am great at making awnings and signs, I’m passionate about custom manufacturing and I love working with and meeting new people – I’m going to open up my own shop. We opened our first office in Boston and quickly opened up a second location in New Hampshire. Since the start of the company, we have prioritized personalized customer service, superior design, competitive pricing, prompt turn-around and strict quality control. Because of this, we experienced rapid growth within the first six months.
It was at this time that I looked at our model and asked myself the best way to scale up. I knew that being in the Northeast, I was loosing north of 70% of business in the U.S. just because of where I was located and what my shipping and freight costs were to states like California and Texas. Instead of bringing on investors or making large capital investments in building facilities out-of-state, I looked for existing businesses that already had the infrastructure I needed in the location I wanted and begin investing directly in those businesses.
Today, we have locations in nine states across the country and are shipping our products to more than 40 states.
Has it been a smooth road?
Money is always an obstacle. I remember in the first two months just saying to myself, I don’t have to make a profit, I just want to be able to make enough to pay for my expenses, as long as I can do that in the beginning, I’ll be fine. As cash flow increased, a constant challenge early on was establishing credibility. There were times that we would sell jobs at cost just so that we would be able to get reviews and also have photos to build our website along with our social media pages.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Lafuente Sign & Awning – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
At Lafuente Sign & Awning, we design, manufacture and install custom stationary awnings, retractable awnings, pergolas, interior and exterior signs, grand-format digitally printed banners, flagpoles and bracket systems. As a company, two of the things we are most proud of is our unparalleled customer service and our manufacturing process. We always respond to our clients within a timely manner and always make ourselves available no matter what time of day it is, or how big your job may be.
When it comes to the manufacturing, we incorporate technology that allows are products to be fabricated on-time and on budget, using the highest quality raw materials. What sets us apart from other companies is that we deliver on our promises. We have an internal motto that is “promises kept”. Many times, our competitors will make promises just to win the job and never deliver. When we say we will do something, we always do it.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I was born in Boston and I love the continued change and growth that the city continues to experience. Being in the sign industry, Boston offers me the opportunity to take part in jobs across many industries and work with people from all across the globe. What I like least about our city is the increased traffic.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lafuentesignandawning.com
- Phone: 617-368-0577
- Email: Andrew@lafuentesignandawning.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lafuentesignandawning/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lafuentesignandawning/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lafsignawning
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lafuente-sign-and-awning-somerville-3?osq=awnings
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lafuente-sign-and-awning/
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