Henry has extended an open invitation for interested parties to get in touch with offers for the £300,000-turnover Birmingham signage company. HNS is already in talks with a number of potential buyers.
Last year, HNS won the gold award for non-printed signage at the Fespa Awards. It is now shortlisted at this year’s Fespa Awards, set to take place in Berlin next month, in the non-printed signage category for its work on store designs for fashion brand Ted Baker UK.
The firm is now in the best position of its seven-year life, according to Henry.
“I have been saying I am almost annoyed that I am leaving now,” she said. “We have been taking increasingly impressive clients on board and our brand recognition is building.
“While I do not have a specific date in mind for the sale and my departure, I would quite like to be in Australia by Christmas. That would make this year’s Fespa Awards my last one with HNS Signs – so we'd better win.
“The main thing I want from a buyer is for them to be passionate about creativity, I would hate for the company to go to someone who just wants to do normal signs. All of our work is bespoke and everyone on our team can perform every task – from site visits to machine handling and finishing – which gives us flexibility.”
HNS employs six staff, including Henry. Its 465sqm site is kitted out with equipment including a Roland Soljet Pro 4 XR-640 printer-cutter, plotters from both Ricoh and Puma, a Mercury LaserPro cutter, as well as “every type of saw and sanding machine”.
While its “bread-and-butter” work includes signage for the NHS, its remit extends to a wide range of jobs with “no two ever the same”, according to Henry.
Self-described “sign geek” Henry has wanted to move to Australia since travelling there after completing her degree and plans to continue working in signage after she relocates.
She said: “I just love signs and want to stay in the sector. My only worry is that I won’t be able to find a company as creative as what we do at HNS, but I fell in love with the country years ago and always knew I would move there.”
