Tampa sign company expands, buys North Carolina manufacturer

Creative Sign Designs has acquired a North Carolina architectural sign manufacturer, giving the Tampa company a second production facility and a larger footprint across the Southeast.

The company announced Monday it purchased Rite Lite Signs, a full-service sign designer and manufacturer based in Concord, North Carolina. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition is Creative Sign Designs’ first since a 2021 recapitalization with Atlanta-based Heritage Growth Partners, a private family investment office. That partnership was intended to finance the Tampa company’s expansion, in part through acquisitions.

Rite Lite brings a 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility to Creative Sign Designs’ Tampa operation. The combined company plans to divide projects between the two plants based on capacity, expertise and customers’ needs.

The expansion also puts Creative Sign Designs closer to growing markets including Charlotte, Charleston, Raleigh, Atlanta and Knoxville, company officials say.

“This acquisition creates greater scale, stability and opportunity for our customers and employees alike,” Creative Sign Designs CEO Jamie Harden says in the release.

Creative Sign Designs was founded in 1986 and provides consulting, design, fabrication, installation and maintenance for exterior and interior signs, wayfinding systems and environmental graphics. The company works with clients in industries including healthcare, housing, entertainment, education, retail and government.

Rite Lite was founded in 1989 by David and Tasha Catchpole. The couple started the company from their home as an installation and service operation for other sign businesses before expanding into design and fabrication.

The acquisition combines companies with nearly 80 years of operating history.

Rite Lite will continue to be led by general manager Bruce Saunders, according to the release. Creative Sign Designs did not disclose how many employees are on staff at Rite Lite or if the acquisition will result in staffing changes.

The companies say the deal allows each entity to offer a broader range of services, from initial design and project management to fabrication and installation. Creative Sign Designs also expects the North Carolina operation to improve its ability to handle regional projects and work for brands with locations nationwide.

Hill Ward Henderson, a Tampa-based law firm, served as Creative Sign Designs’ legal adviser. Proviso Group advised Rite Lite.