Meet the Women in Wide Format: Mary Lou Goehrung

YOU HAVE BEEN NAMED the number one Sign Center in the Alliance Franchise Brands out of 300. What have you done as the leader of your business to become so successful? 

My Franchise Center, Signs By Tomorrow Rockville, Maryland, has been the first or second in sales volume over the last five years in the Alliance Franchise Brands Sign Division out of 300 Centers. I am a bit of a risk taker, yet run my business with a corporate mindset utilizing tenacity and efficiency. We continue to grow by investing in our business with state-of-the-art equipment and software. I also introduced ecommerce into our business mix in 2019. Of course, no success can be had without skilled and talented employees and providing quality products with superior customer service to our large corporate clients, as well as individual clients. 

Can you talk about your internship program and why it’s important to have the younger generation working in your shop?  

During the summer and winter breaks we have a paid college student internship program. I feel this exposure to the sign/print industry opens the students’ mind to a whole world of possibilities for their future. Today the sign/print industry encompasses engineering, programing, graphics, skilled tool usage, and, above all, attention to detail with emphasis on precision and correctness. This provokes an awareness of the synergistic effect of different disciplines in the workplace. 

What has wide-format digital printing done for your business? 

The wide-format capability has made us who we are today. We were pioneers in the 1990s who purchased one of the first large-format digital printers. We never looked back and have always been the first on the block to purchase new state-of-the-art equipment. Wide format allowed us to get out in front of competition and grow our business, while meeting client’s demands with quality and speed. In 2019, we were the only center to have two 8 by 10-foot Fujifilm high-speed flatbeds with white ink. Our motto has always been “buy it and new customers will come with new needs to fit our machines.”  

What does it mean to be a woman in the wide-format digital printing industry? 

I feel being a woman in a predominantly male field has let me practice my competitive nature and demonstrate my abilities while leveling the playing field.  Not only can women compete, but they are excelling in this field.  Women have demonstrated they think logically, and in a calm way, can multitask efficiently, and think outside the box when necessary. All skills that drive them to the top. I am honored to be among a highlighted group of women who rock!