Visual Workplace, Inc.
Custom sign manufacturer fosters international partnerships to improve workplace safety
For many small business owners, finding a successful niche in the market comes after years of experience in their field. Rhonda Kovera, CEO of Visual Workplace, Inc., was inspired to create a business focusing on continuous improvement and safety signage after seeing the impressive framework utilized by Toyota for their workplace signage.
Initially, Visual Workplace, Inc. sold one product: their visual sign shop, a complete system that could be purchased by manufacturers to create their own signage.
“Toyota established a very strong platform for developing continuous improvement and sustaining that in manufacturing organizations,” said Kovera. “Many of our clients utilized that methodology and we provided the signage and visual communications to support that.”
After numerous requests to enhance their capabilities to create signage in-house, Kovera knew it was time to expand. Now, the woman-owned business also prints signage for their clients, in addition to selling the visual sign shop system.
The COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on the company’s traditional strategy of generating leads through trade shows, but they found a way to pivot that allowed for more success than ever before.
The Visual Workplace, Inc. team aligned with a national sales organization that allowed them to have representation throughout the United States. This change in sales strategy allowed them to work directly with distributors and utilize their relationships to grow nationally and increase their brand awareness with end-users.
Over the last year, Kovera and her team have developed an exciting and high-tech partnership that will further expand their reach in the market.
Visual Workplace, Inc. has partnered with a manufacturer out of Europe, and will have exclusive distribution in the U.S. for digital safety lighting products. The European company manufactures digital safety lighting, which uses projections that show safety messages instead of physically placing them on floors and walls.
“Historically, paint or tape is used, but in distribution centers with high traffic, they have to replace it constantly. With a light projection option, they remove that maintenance,” said Kovera. “It’s exciting for us to utilize new forms of technology in our safety signage.”
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