In the spring of 2023, FASTSIGNS Richmond entered an exciting new chapter when longtime owner Rob White transitioned ownership of the business to Garrett Ford and his wife, Morgan Ford. Originally established in Richmond in 1988, FASTSIGNS Richmond has a long history of helping local businesses, property managers, schools, contractors, developers, and national brands with high-quality custom signs and visual communication solutions.
Rob White acquired the business in 2016 and successfully guided it through years of growth, including the challenges of the COVID era. By 2023, the company was well established, respected in the Richmond market, and positioned for its next stage of growth. Rob believed the time was right for new ownership to continue building on that foundation and take FASTSIGNS Richmond to the next level.
For Garrett and Morgan, the opportunity was a natural fit.
Garrett, a graduate of Virginia Tech and a CPA, began his career with RSM, formerly McGladrey, in Richmond, Virginia. There, he worked with middle-market companies ranging from $20 million to $1 billion in sales, auditing, reviewing, and drafting financial statements. He later became the firm’s Mid-Atlantic subject matter expert for private company valuation and served as a lead instructor for new associates and senior associates working with private equity firms, hedge funds, and family offices.
Garrett then transitioned into investment banking with the prestigious Richmond boutique firm Mann, Armistead & Epperson. He quickly moved into a Vice President role, co-leading mergers and acquisitions transactions alongside the firm’s named partners. His work focused on middle-market companies with valuations ranging from $50 million to $1 billion.
During his time at Mann, Armistead & Epperson, Garrett gained invaluable experience in business deal structures, negotiations, valuation, due diligence, and working closely with both buyers and sellers toward the common goal of a successful transaction. That experience gave him a deeper understanding of what makes a business valuable, sustainable, and positioned for long-term growth.
After spending much of his career advising, valuing, and working alongside business owners, Garrett decided he wanted to step into an operational role himself. FASTSIGNS Richmond presented a unique opportunity to acquire and grow a long-standing Richmond company with a strong reputation, established customer base, and experienced team.
Morgan brought a different but equally valuable background to the ownership team. After graduating Summa Cum Laude from East Tennessee State University, she attended the Appalachian School of Law and later passed both the Tennessee and Virginia bar exams. Morgan began her legal career with the District Attorney’s office in Kingsport before moving to Virginia and practicing family law with the Law Offices of Cravens & Noll and later the Law Offices of Deanna Cook.
Over time, Morgan realized her strengths and interests extended beyond the traditional practice of law. She left the legal field and founded Southern Y’all Designs, a custom apparel, accessories, and designer wear business focused primarily on women’s fashion and trends. Through her leadership, Southern Y’all Designs grew into a successful online business and was eventually exited. Her experience as both an attorney and entrepreneur gave her a strong foundation in operations, customer experience, brand development, and business ownership.
Since acquiring FASTSIGNS Richmond, Garrett and Morgan have focused on understanding what the company already did well while identifying areas of opportunity. One of the most important parts of the transition was the team.
“The most important part of the transaction was the team,” says Morgan. “We are fortunate that we inherited an amazing team that has embraced the culture and team environment and is focused on the company’s values and shared vision. We had zero attrition during the transition, which is highly unusual, but shows how well the team and new ownership aligned.”
That continuity allowed FASTSIGNS Richmond to build momentum quickly. Over the last several years, the company has leaned heavily into larger, more complex signage projects while continuing to expand its capabilities, equipment, installation resources, and project management expertise. The business has increasingly focused on exterior signs, channel letters, monument signs, wall graphics, vehicle graphics, dimensional signs, wayfinding signs, ADA signs, custom fabrication, permitting, and professional sign installation.
As the company has grown, Garrett and Morgan have also made strategic decisions about where to focus the team’s time and resources.
“It’s a difficult decision to stop offering certain products, or to set minimum order sizes that allow our team to focus on the projects where we can provide the greatest value,” says Garrett. “But as the company grows, and our capabilities, equipment, team, and operational overhead grow with it, necessary changes are a must. For instance, we have grown from one bucket truck to a fleet of specialized bucket trucks and crane equipment.”
Today, FASTSIGNS Richmond is more than a local sign shop. With three Richmond-area locations and a full-service production and installation operation, the company is positioned to handle signage projects from concept to completion. Customers can rely on the team for design, permitting support, fabrication, project management, and installation, all backed by the resources of a nationally recognized brand and the commitment of local ownership.
While FASTSIGNS Richmond has historically been a successful franchise, Garrett and Morgan have continued to build on that legacy. Under their ownership, the company has grown into a Top 15 FASTSIGNS franchise out of nearly 800 locations, with a continued focus on becoming a Top 10 location in the near term.
For Garrett and Morgan, the future of FASTSIGNS Richmond is centered on growth, capability, culture, and service. Their goal is to continue investing in the people, equipment, systems, and expertise needed to serve businesses across Richmond, Central Virginia, and the entire Commonwealth at an even higher level.
As FASTSIGNS Richmond continues its next chapter, one thing remains the same: the company is committed to helping businesses make their message visible through high-quality signs, graphics, and visual communication solutions.
Garrett and Morgan reside in Midlothian, Virginia, with their daughter, Blaike, and their two dachshunds, Remi and Rowie.
