Signs Now, one of two main divisions of Allegra Network, has moved its leadership team from Sarasota, Florida to Plymouth Twp, bringing together its Northville and Florida operations under one roof, as the company branches into marketing and visual communications.
The move into an industrial building in Plymouth Twp consolidated Allegra's signs and print brands divisions.
Allegra is one of the world's largest marketing, print and graphics communications companies and ranks in the top 200 of franchise companies worldwide.
Previously, the headquarters for its print brands operated from a 16,000-square-foot space in Northville and
Signs Now was run from a 6,000-square-foot space in Sarasota.
"We ended up buying a 67,000-square-foot building that allowed us to bring those operations together," Allegra Network majority owner Mike Marcantonio says. "Plymouth Township has been great to work with. It is really a business-friendly community."
About 50 employees work at the new Plymouth headquarters, some hired since the move, and more are expected to be hired as the company adds new services, Marcantonio says. The company has about 20 employees in Florida and other parts of the country. Some employees remained in Florida. Top leadership came to Michigan and will work in offices carved out of the former industrial building. The other part of the building is ideal for operations and will be used for training franchisees and "rolling out new products."
Plymouth will be the site of administrative offices for company leadership, franchise training, research and development, and also house a number of related businesses, from commercial art provider
Progressive Art & Frame Design to the new marketing and visual communications arm that will offer small- to medium-sized companies marketing and advertising services typically not available from large agencies.
"We're developing a marketing resource center here in Plymouth," Marcantonio says.
This will lead to the hiring of marketing strategists, social media experts, designers and other jobs, he says.
Allegra is privately owned by an investor group including Marcantonio, former vice president of Domino's Pizza, and Thomas S. Monaghan, the founder and former CEO of Domino's Pizza and founder of Ave Maria University.
Source: Mike Marcantonio, majority owner Allegra Network
Writer: Kim North Shine
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.