Watchfire digs into expansion

Company to consolidate 3 locations

DANVILLE — Watchfire Signs broke ground Thursday afternoon to expand its manufacturing and office facilities in Danville, where the company has been located for 80 years.

The expansion will add more than 110,000 square feet of additional manufacturing space and 17,000 square feet of office space at its Maple Street headquarters.

The expanded facility will allow the company to consolidate its current three locations into one location, provide room for additional employees and help Watchfire keep up with demand.

“The ability to increase our manufacturing and office space is critical to reaching our growth goals, and we are fortunate that the timing is right to purchase the real estate we need in Danville to accommodate our growth,” Steve Harriott, president and CEO of Watchfire Signs, said. “Having the entire Watchfire team in one location will facilitate communication and drive operational efficiencies.”

Watchfire selected Curry Construction of Mattoon as its contractor for the expansion project. The Danville City Council approved the expansion on April 17, with the expanded facility expected to be completed in early 2013.

The company has experienced unprecedented growth in the last couple of years, and as it outgrew its original location, employees in sales, manufacturing and whole-sign calibration worked at several different sites in Danville and Champaign. When the expansion is complete, all employees will be under one roof.

Watchfire signs are designed, engineered and manufactured exclusively in Danville. Since entering the LED sign market in 1996, the company has created more than 40,000 LED signs for banks, retail stores, schools, places of worship and other locations throughout North America.

In addition to manufacturing, Watchfire will continue to use its Danville location as the platform for providing world-class sales and technical support for its customers and to develop the next generation of industry-leading products.

“Watchfire is known for its quality, and we recognize that we can continue to exceed our customers’ expectations by expanding here,” Harriott said.

“We are committed to driving efficiencies in our manufacturing process while maintaining our high quality standards. Our skilled work force in Danville allows us to design, engineer and build the industry’s best products,” he said. “This new facility signals our strong commitment to the community and our desire to offer our customers world-class support.”

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