Drive down College Avenue in Bryan in the daytime, and you’ll see our new Funeral Center. We’ve heard from many of you how aesthetically pleasing you find the view. At night, there’s an extra level of beauty that you can only see in the beautiful work of FASTSIGNS, a College Station business owned by our friends Kevin and Kristi Brightwell.
Many of you know I enjoy graphic design as a hobby. Because I designed the new Callaway-Jones logo several years ago, I have some strong ideas about how I like things to look. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in design than Kevin and his team at FASTSIGNS. We met at the Funeral Center, and he saw our building layout and the landscape plan to discuss our outdoor business signage.
His team came up with what they thought we might like and that rendering began our discussion. Kevin likes to say there are three types of clients: those who don’t know what they want, those who think they know what they want, and those who absolutely know what they want. I’m in that last category! We went back and forth through a few iterations and when we arrived on the perfect one, you see our name in two monument signs that catch traffic both directions, lighting up the night (subtly).
I was relieved when the rain finally stopped a few months ago, so installation could be completed. In addition, the frosted glass doors of all our conference rooms feature the handiwork of FASTSIGNS. It’s a work of art the way they achieved the look Chelsea and I saw in the second place you really see our name. Once you’re inside, you’ll spot the attractive beige and brown area signage that complements our master plan. We are so proud to show you and invite you to stop by and see what FASTSIGNS did for us, person-to-person. Come by and see for yourself.
Kevin Brightwell is an Aggie agricultural engineering graduate, class of ’84, and he met his future wife Kristi, at A&M. He says he’s not a designer or artist, but their talented team of 12 people make it possible to deliver signs for customers of all types. They opened their business here in 2005.
Not only do they have business customers like us, they have individuals come into their store, on University Drive East in College Station, who may just need a single sign for some event. No project is outside their scope. Kevin said that he enjoys most that he gets to drive around town and actually see FASTSIGNS’ work on display.
One of the things about how the Callaway-Jones family benefits from doing business locally is the familiarity that our vendors have with the City of Bryan permitting requirements and they have great knowledge of what is required.
Kevin says, “We’re here because you need help in marketing your business. Our business is to help you in whatever form or fashion you need us to.”
Because I already knew what I wanted, I had in my mind what I’d hoped it could be, and after I described it, Kevin came back with a digital design, and then it only took us a few iterations going back and forth before we had the final design for the monument signs.
Our frosted glass door panels are precise and I like how our logo looks there. Inside our funeral center, the beige and brown signs are simple, classic and understated, as is our image. Chelsea and I appreciate the opportunity to work with Kevin, Kristi, and their team as they helped us put the finishing touches on our new Funeral Center. We want everything you see to look seamless, and most of all, that you are in a welcoming, warm, and peaceful environment.
Our thanks to FASTSIGNS for being one of our vendors. Together, we all make a difference when we shop locally.
