Signarama's Australian boss said the group would expand from 91 outlets to about 100 by the end of 2013.

Evan Foster also told ProPrint that it would then take another five years for Signarama to reach 120-130, which he said was the maximum the country's population could support.

Foster said most of the growth would come from the regions, because they were less cluttered and less competitive than the big cities.

He said Signarama was keen to move into Canberra and Darwin, which are the only Australian capitals in which it is not represented.

Signarama is also eyeing up Launceston in Tasmania; Mt Gambier in South Australia; Tamworth, Orange and Dubbo in New South Wales; Mildura and Sale in Victoria; Townsville and Rockhampton in Queensland; and Geraldton and Albany in Western Australia.

[Profile: Meet Signarama's top man in Australia]

The growth will mainly come from opening new businesses, but it will also involve independent stores signing up with the franchise, he said.

Foster said commercial printers that wanted to diversify were welcome to join Signarama – as happened with Gympie in 2010 and Mackay in 2012.

He added that print firms could even maintain their identities by running a print shop with one name alongside a Signarama-branded signage operation.

Foster said signage was a robust industry, because it is "one of the most cost-effective types of advertising there is".

"There are still pretty good margins in signage because everything is custom," he told ProPrint.

"There's always plenty of work out there. There are lots of sign companies that aren't just surviving, but succeeding. There's enough work out there, there really is."

Signarama's franchises employ 450-500 staff and have a combined turnover of $56 million, said Foster.

[Related: More news about franchises]

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