A colourful future
Brendan Perring talks to
Keith Piggott, managing
director of Perspex
Distribution, about his
hopes for the company’s
future and which developments have accelerated its growth
You're marketing boast is ‘superior for signs, perfect for print’. What gives you the confidence to make such a bold statement?
The recent product developments from Perspex Distribution have focused on improving the products available to the sign and print industry. We have listened to the needs of the market and we believe the new materials we have added to our range offer superior quality and choice to our customers. The introduction of Perspex Spectrum LED, Alupanel Ultrawhite Digital composite sheets and SloanLED lights mean you can create the most vibrant signs and innovative print.
Service remains at the heart of our business and we have also been growing our branch network to ensure customers continue to receive the right products—when they want them.
What is the history of the Perspex brand?
Perspex was registered as a trademark in 1934 and quickly became synonymous with plastic. By the 1940’s, Perspex was used to replace glass canopies in Spitfire fighter planes and the material has continued to be pioneered around the globe ever since.
We supply Perspex used in anything from signage, print and interior design, to fabrication of stereo speakers, pool tables and even furniture for royalty.
Our Perspex engineers, colour technicians and innovation teams continue to push the boundaries on behalf of our customers. Perspex Distribution has been supplying Perspex within the UK since 2003 and now supplies a much greater range of products from aluminium composite and polycarbonate, to PVC foam and LED lights.
What developments have really helped you expand the business?
Following strong demand for our products across the UK, we recently expanded our business by opening a fourth branch in Weybridge, Surrey. We were delighted to be in a position to grow our business and the positive feedback from our customers old and new has been great to hear.
As with all our branches, we offer large stock holdings of our full product range at each branch with cutting facilities which enable us to make cut to size sheets available for next day delivery. The new branch has also enabled us to generate a further 21 new jobs within the industry which can only be good news.
What type of products do you see as a real strength for your organisation?
Obviously our company name goes hand in hand with our range of Perspex sheets, however the real strength of our offering is the range of specialist materials we offer over and above our Perspex range.
We stock a wide range of aluminium composite, foamed and rigid PVC and polyester sheets all available cut to size and delivered directly to you. Our teams are also happy to discuss any projects you are working on and advise the best options available—we’ll even supply you adhesives for those finishing touches.
We continue to pick the best materials from our suppliers, offering the most appropriate range for our customers.
You have a tie-up in place with SloanLED, how did that come about and why?
We were delighted to introduce SloanLED products to our range. As we are already selling specialist materials for LED signage, you could say it was a logical next step for us to sell LEDs. However, we required a light that would mirror the high standard of our material. With over 50 years’ experience and expertise, SloanLED offers the perfect product to bring out the best in our sheets and both companies are looking forward to developing the relationship. As the sign industry embraces the benefits of LED lights, we believe the combination of SloanLEDs and our Perspex Spectrum LED sheet will offer a complete package to sign makers.
We provide a free estimate and layout service to ensure the right LED are specified for each project and we produce a layout drawing to help you install the modules correctly.
What is on the horizon for Perspex Distribution in terms of new development for the signage industry?
Without giving away too much, expect to see brighter colours, easier print and more choice. We feel that the recent additions to the range strengthen our offering in the market and we are looking to build on this success.