Meet Our Franchisees
José Martinez, Melanie Martinez, and Alan White
From Dedicated Employees to Award-Winning Franchise Owners
Executive Summary: After serving as employees at FASTSIGNS® Crawley for over three decades, José Martinez, Melanie Martinez, and Alan White transitioned from staff to business owners in December 2018. Combining their deep operational knowledge across production, sales and design with the franchisor’s tried-and-tested B2B support framework, the trio transformed their long-held dream of business ownership into a thriving reality. Today, FASTSIGNS Crawley stands as one of the network’s top-performing and most innovative centres, forging vital commercial links with businesses across the Gatwick region, while building long-term equity for their future.
The Background: Three Decades in the Making
The story of FASTSIGNS Crawley is built on decades of shared experience, loyalty and industry expertise.
- Melanie Martinez: Joined the newly opened Crawley centre in 1995 as a customer service representative, working alongside the original franchisee, to help establish the business from its launch into maturity.
- José Martinez: Commenced his FASTSIGNS journey in the mid-1990s at the UK’s first-ever franchise centre, before transferring to Crawley in 2000 as a production specialist, to balance family life.
- Alan White: Joined the Crawley team in 1997, as a sign-maker and graphic designer, completing the trio.
Working harmoniously side-by-side for nearly 30 years, husband-and-wife duo Melanie and José, alongside Alan, developed a deep personal friendship and a shared dream of business ownership.
While the opportunity first arose to purchase the FASTSIGNS centre in 2008, they prioritised family life and work-life balance until the timing was right. In late 2018, when the second franchise owner opted for early retirement at the end of his 10-year term, José, Melanie, and Alan seized the opportunity to acquire the centre together.
The Ownership Journey: Transitioning to Strategic Leadership
Transitioning from employees to business owners required a shift in mindset and clear operational boundaries, supported by a strong franchisor network.
Defining Roles & Fostering Culture
To ensure both commercial success and the preservation of their long-standing friendship, the trio established a culture of open communication and structured leadership:
- José Martinez: Focuses on procurement, production and installations and provides detail-oriented operational management.
- Melanie Martinez & Alan White: Lead customer relationship management, sales strategy and project completion.
Monthly director meetings ensure strategic alignment, while open dialogue allows them to resolve operational challenges constructively.
By defining roles, as well as growing their team by three additional employees, they have successfully grown their business by a whopping 132% in 8 years, with an average growth rate of more than 11% year on year!
Support from the FASTSIGNS Network
Although the trio possessed extensive hands-on experience, the transition to business ownership was smoothed by the FASTSIGNS UK Support Team:
- Systems & POS Training: Guided implementation and training on advanced point-of-sale systems and business metrics reporting.
- Customer Communication: Assisted in structuring clear outreach to existing clients regarding the ownership transition.
- Ongoing Mentorship: Provided continuous operational direction, allowing the team to navigate ownership responsibilities with confidence.
The Only Way Is Up for FASTSIGNS Crawley
Since taking ownership, Mel and Alan have systematically set about raising the awareness of their business in their territory, becoming the signage specialist in their locality. To do this, Mel has developed strategic relationships with their local BID, ultimately being voted onto the board as a director. Alan has strengthened ties with Gatwick Airport, which has led to fantastic projects like their STEM training facility and a state-of-the-art automatic parking garage!
Since taking ownership, Mel and Alan have systematically set about raising the awareness of their business in their territory, becoming the signage specialist in their locality. To do this, Mel has developed strategic relationships with their local BID, ultimately being voted onto the board as a director. Alan has strengthened ties with Gatwick Airport, which has led to fantastic projects like their STEM training facility and a state-of-the-art automatic parking garage!
They’ve also led national projects for companies like the Steer Group, leaning on the capabilities of the network to deliver nationwide installation. Closer to home, the centre has long been a sponsor of Crawley Town Football Club, and they have produced multiple signage packages for this local sporting venue.