FASTSIGNS PROMOTES LAST TO SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF FRANCHISE SERVICES, REVAMPS OPERATIONS DEPT. (1/00)

American Fastsigns, Inc., has promoted Susan Last to Senior Vice President of Franchise Services, expanding her management duties to oversee the Technical Services Department, Operations Department and Training Department. The appointment coincides with the reorganization of the Operations Department to provide more specialized support for franchisees in the network.

"It's all about working better as a team to support the system," Gary Salomon, chairman and CEO of FASTSIGNS said. "With closer communication and involvement of the various departments under Susan's new position comes an improved level of service that we can provide to the franchisees." Last, who has more than 15 years of experience in the franchise industry, is a veteran of training and franchise support systems, making her an ideal candidate to supervise the expanded team in Franchise Services, Salomon said.

OPERATIONS A-LA-CARTE

Changes to the Operations Department, will allow FASTSIGNS' franchisees to order menu-style the types of operations visits they would like to have in their stores. The old system, which provided two store visits from a franchise business Consultant (FBC) who was a jack-of-all-trades, has been replaced by a choice of visits from FBCs with expertise in certain fields: marketing, technical support, sales and more.

"The program is already showing signs of success," Last said. "And we have some longtime FASTSIGNS franchisees to thank for the idea."

Pacesetter franchisees, named for their high revenue and overall success, suggested that operations support be customized to match the age of a store and offer more niche services to more experienced franchise owners.

"It's like walking a cafeteria line," Last said. "Franchisees have choices, and now they can make the most of the knowledge and experience made available to them from the home office."

About American Fastsigns, Inc.

American Fastsigns is the franchisor of FASTSIGNS® stores, and is the leader in the quick sign industry. FASTSIGNS stores offer a full range of custom signs including banners, signs, ready-to-apply lettering, trade show displays and full color graphics. FASTSIGNS is headquartered in Carrollton, Texas, and has more than 430 franchise locations worldwide.