New Orleans Signs Now Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Posted on October 16, 2007 by Bill Dube

Owners Celebrate Grand Re-Opening Two Years After Hurricane Katrina

NEW ORLEANS, LA.—Two years after the destruction of their New Orleans-based Signs Now center, local business people Norm and Michelle Gobert held a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 11 to celebrate the grand re-opening of their store, located at 1903 Poydras Street.  The Signs Now building remained one of the last to be re-built on the busy and well-known Poydras Street, near the Louisiana Superdome.

Several local officials, Signs Now President Steve White along with several key executives, and special clients and guests were on hand to support the Goberts and celebrate the effort and dedication put into the re-opening on the New Orleans based Signs Now.

“We are thrilled to be back home and running the business,” remarked owner Michelle Gobert. “It’s been a long road and with the assistance from several generous companies, Signs Now, and the dedication of our new staff, our business is stronger than ever. We are ready to pick up where we left off and continue the company growth and development”

Signs Now New Orleans received an outpouring of support not only from industry peers, but also from companies willing to assist in the re-building process. These donations include: inventory items from Advantage Sign Supply; trade materials from Sihl; a discounted LCD message center from Hi-Tech; and a fifteen percent discount on fixtures from Walls and Forms. In addition, Allegra Network, LLC and Signs Now donated $10,000 in working capital and waived all franchise/training fees.

Norm and Michelle Gobert—both well-known nationally in the signage and graphics industry—have owned the New Orleans Signs Now for more than 15 years. Following Katrina, the Gobert family originally re-located to Lake Charles, before they had to make another move to Baton Rouge after Hurricane Rita. They eventually moved back to Lake Charles so their children could finish school. In January of this year, the Gobert family made their way back to New Orleans and had to make the decision to re-build their business or start with a new slate.

“After spending so many years in the signage and graphics industry, we had developed a true passion for the business and did not want to give up on all of the hard work we had put into our company,” explained Michelle Gobert. “We realized it was do or die time; we had to get things moving and get back on track.”

And they have gotten back on track—as Signs Now New Orleans is now back home and fully-operational for current and future clients. The service base includes multiple solutions and digital imaging for outdoor and indoor signage, exhibit and vehicle graphics, magnetic signs, banners, window graphics, ADA signage, dimensional letters, directional systems and other visual communications tools to businesses in the region. The company has also been producing event signage on-site for the NFL Super Bowl since 1997.

Signs Now, A Division of Allegra Network LLC

As a leader and top innovator in the sign and graphics industry, Signs Now truly stands out in a crowded world. Signs Now has over 225 franchise locations across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The corporate offices and the Signs Now Training Academy, Sarasota Campus are headquartered in Sarasota, Fla. Signs Now grossed nearly $95 million in sales in 2006.