Where to from here? with Andy Lowe President NZSDA

Image NZ speaks with Andy Lowe, former Managing Director, Image Creators, Motueka NZ. Andy has been a board member of the New Zealand Sign and Display Association for the past four years and was recently appointed to the role of President.

What a year full of twists and turns 2020 has been with many of us experiencing significant changes professionally and personally. So I wasn’t that surprised when I caught up with Andy Lowe to find him bunkered down in SE Queensland. Having recently sold his business Image Creators NZ Andy and his Aussie born wife Jody haven’t let COVID derail their plans. After a two week stint in quarantine in Brisbane in March, Andy now continues to run his design business Lowe Creative using the internet and is focussing his attention on one of his other passions, charting a path for the future of the New Zealand Sign and Display Industry.

How did you come to be where you are today?

While I was born in Motueka, I did my schooling in Melbourne, and I was always into art and wanted to do stuff with my hands. I was two years into my carpentry apprenticeship in Upwey Melbourne when I was walking home and came across Mick Frawley sign writing a butchers fascia. I was fascinated, so I sat and watched him for a few hours. Shortly after that, my family moved from Melbourne to Brisbane, and I had to find a new job, so I started ringing around sign shops looking for a signwriting apprenticeship. My interview with Geoff Goebell Signs comprised a hands-on test where they sat me down and asked me to come up with a concept for a sign. I still use this test as part of my interview process for prospective employees to this day. It doesn’t matter if they use design software or crayons, it’s about getting an insight into a person’s creative abilities.

While I had trained as a traditional signwriter, the company I worked for during my apprenticeship was one of the first companies in Brisbane to get a cutter. After years as a contractor and running a small signshop, I decided I didn’t want to focus on manufacturing retail and building signage like everyone else was at the time. Instead, I concentrated on the graphic design aspect and understanding the market positioning, creating the brand image for a business and following this through to make the final signage package. In 2003 we moved back to Motueka to bring up our family.

What has been one of the highlights of your career?

Having never been a sports person the opportunity to win an NZSDA award and the personal satisfaction that came with it was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had. It became addictive, and a highlight for me was 2016 in Christchurch, where we walked away with seven awards in one night. To date, we have one over fifty awards which we are very proud of.

What impact has COVID 19 had on the industry? 

The long term impact of COVID 19 is still unfolding. Probably the biggest thing I’m seeing is how spasmodic it is in terms of how it’s affected people. Some have stopped dead, and others are busier than ever. From crisis comes innovation, and people are now moving into areas that they have never been before. My advice? Try not to panic and make sudden rash decisions. Is the industry down? Yes. Is it all doom and gloom? No. We will get through this.

What are some of the significant achievements of the NZSDA to date?

The creation of the NZSDA Awards, for which the credit must be given to Brian Fairchild. They are such a highlight of our year, and the calibre of the work is second to none. Also, the creation of the Signee Training program designed to attract, develop and retain talent in our industry.

What are the main priorities in your new role as President moving forward?

Naturally, all industries want to increase their membership, but we want to create a culture and a set of programs and initiatives, where companies are attracted to get involved in the NZSDA because they are interested in furthering our industry, which will, in turn, benefit their company in the long run.  

The thing we hear most often is that businesses can’t get skilled tradespeople, but the way businesses are doing inhouse training is not working. Specialisation of employees is the way companies are going, watering down the knowledge base of our industry which is killing us. Businesses advertise for a print operator but don’t invest in upskilling and cross-skilling staff into other areas of the business. Staff get bored and leave, and the cost to recruit and replace is higher than the time and effort involved in training and developing existing staff, not to mention staff loyalty and engagement.

Employers need to take on the responsibility of training an employee teaching them properly in all the skills, not just how to operate a printer or just apply vinyl. We need to give them tools to support them in this on the job training, which is where the Signee Program comes in.

Another priority is to improve awareness about our industry amongst careers counsellors and school leavers. Participating in the NZSDA career days in Christchurch and Auckland over the past couple of years, was quite eye-opening and taught me that career advisers and kids coming through high school couldn’t describe what a sign company does, other than “stick sticky letters on things”. We must get better at promoting our industry, getting ourselves to the top of the careers list so that when a kid goes to a careers adviser and says “I really like art” or “I want to do something with my hands”, they are given something more than a flyer about a graphic design course, or information about construction trades.

In addition to creating demand for apprenticeships, we need to embed the Signee Program into training providers and schools nationally, so we have a program that is delivered consistently to the highest standards.

Finally, we need to provide pathways and recognition for those already in the industry. Unlike other trades, the Signage industry does not have government standards. The Master Sign Makers program gives accreditation for existing members, an invaluable marketing tool that creates a point of difference they can then promote, along with the peace of mind for customers that dealing with an NZSDA member gives.

The association provides many benefits in terms of networks, relationships and opportunities to seek advice but the real focus needs to be on addressing problems of the future in terms of training, development and making our industry competitive. Imagine advertising for an employee in 10 years time and having three qualified sign makers apply for the role? If there is one thing that I am passionate about it is the variety of skills and experience needed is bigger than any other trade based industry, and if we can get that out there it’s the most attractive and exciting industry in the world.