When you produce illuminated signage for Microsoft, McDonald’s, and Kempinski, you know what customers value most: high-quality systems, a seamless consultation process, and ideally, the entire production workflow from a single source. But Thomas Würmser has taken things even further with his company, Signfex.
BI: Thank you for taking the time for this interview. Perhaps you could briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
TW: Thank you for having me—my pleasure. I’d describe myself as an entrepreneur with a passion for technology. But as the head of a company with almost 30 employees, I’m also deeply involved in many other areas.
I’m a certified master craftsman in sign and illuminated advertising, and a state-certified designer. I’ve been running my parents’ business since 2009 and have expanded it significantly. You could say I grew up in the workshop. As a teenager, I already helped out in the family business and was fascinated by the technology and visual potential of illuminated signage. I’ve always been excited by technical innovation – both in the production of light advertising and in the opportunities created by web technologies. That’s why I founded Signfex together with a business partner.
What exactly does Signfex do?
TW: Anyone who runs a business knows how important innovation, fresh ideas, and ongoing improvements are. That’s why we manufacture signage and illuminated letters using cutting-edge standards, state-of-the-art machinery, and modern technologies. But we also wanted to take our customer service and communication to the next level—more digital, more efficient through automation, yet still with a human touch.
So we started thinking about how to implement excellent customer communication and optimal service in a digital environment. With Signfex, we’ve moved away from the traditional way of presenting information and addressing customers, and instead focused on creating more customer interaction.
And what do your customers get out of it?
TW: One major benefit is that our clients can take their time exploring and comparing all the technical and design possibilities for their company logo – conveniently online. We offer inspiring examples, a comprehensive selection, and of course, the ability to fully configure the product themselves. Everything is presented visually so customers can immediately get a feel for how the final result will look. They can even send us a photo of their own building, and we’ll create a photomontage—a preview of what the logo or branding would look like on-site. Local providers typically don’t offer this kind of visualization, inspiration, and configuration.
Other online providers might offer configurators as well, but these are often quite limited – for example, only offering a few design options or relying on imported products from the Far East. In many cases, these are just sales platforms with no real connection between production and sales. Personal consultation is often completely missing.
We do things differently: We offer the entire process—from selection and consultation to production—completely digitally. At the same time, every customer has a dedicated contact person who really knows the product inside and out. Our website, project management, and delivery are all tightly integrated. That way, we ensure that our customers get the best possible result – customized, high-quality, and professionally supported.
And is that what makes you unique in the light advertising industry?
TW: We try to combine the best of all worlds. For instance, there are still some local manufacturers who work in a very traditional way. They might offer one or two proposals or present the customer with a limited number of design options to choose from. You do get personal contact with a specialist, but the selection is often limited, and it takes a lot of imagination for customers to picture what their logo will look like on a building façade.
Then there are companies that specialize in selling signage online. They often have better websites than local providers—with example images and a streamlined ordering process—but they usually outsource production and have little actual knowledge of the products. And of course, there are providers from Eastern Europe or even Asia who compete mostly on price, often at the expense of quality and with long, costly delivery times.
At Signfex, we’ve fully digitalized our entire workflow—including CRM and online marketing. Customers can browse online for inspiration and either configure their logo themselves or choose from a range of visual examples. The process from order to delivery is digital, highly efficient, and therefore especially fast. All our employees are kept up to date on the status of orders and production. And still, each customer is assigned a dedicated contact person who offers support and guidance throughout the entire process. Since we manufacture the signage ourselves, all our employees are experts and provide personalized advice. Last but not least, we offer excellent value for money. We use high-quality, long-lasting components that we can offer at competitive prices thanks to our efficient workflows.
What have been some of your biggest clients and projects so far?
TW: We’ve had the opportunity to provide signage for some very well-known clients and retail chains. In the franchise sector, names like McDonald’s, Subway, and Burger King stand out. We’ve also worked with major corporations like Amazon, Allianz, and Microsoft. In the sports world, we regularly work with FC Augsburg. One highlight was certainly when we created an illuminated logo for the Kempinski Hotel in St. Moritz.
In addition to all the big names, we’ve also completed many interesting projects for medium-sized businesses.
Have you had any requests or project ideas that were a bit out of the ordinary – something that made you smile?
TW: Absolutely! We often get unusual requests and we’re always happy to take them on. For example, we once created an illuminated cross for the Protestant church. Speaking of churches—one Christian community requested a color-controllable illuminated “Bible” sign for a sales booth. We’ve also outfitted a trade show booth for Satisfyer.
The pandemic was a hectic time. Suddenly, everyone wanted face shields. We ended up producing them around the clock—in day and even night shifts. We even shipped them abroad. 40,000 units in four weeks—that was a huge effort. After that, we also produced Plexiglas dividers for the FC Augsburg football stadium.
What does the future look like? How far can digitalization go in your industry, and what tasks will always require a human touch?
TW: That’s like looking into a crystal ball. I think it’s important to stay up to date and to digitalize and automate where it truly makes sense and brings real improvement. But in everything else, the human factor remains essential.
Thank you very much for the interview, Mr. Würmser.
TW: Thank you as well.
The interview was conducted in March 2025.