Poyant Signs

Richard joined the company as a full time sale representative in 1982 after earning an MBA from Northeastern University. Having been “born into a family business”, truly enjoying the creative process and believing in bringing customers to the door of their clients, Richard’s legacy to become the third generation Poyant to lead the family business was inevitable.

Richard’s company experience began in his early teen years sweeping floors and washing trucks, and carried through into his school and college years when he learned both service and installation first hand. These opportunities provided Richard an appreciation and understanding of the aspects of the family business from the ground up.

The company has continued to grow in sales, territory and customer base focusing on a family tradition of continuous investment in the business through staff development, state of the art equipment and facilities improvements.

Currently Richard serves on the board of the International Sign Association, Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Sign Association, a member of the Business Advisory Council for St. Luke’s Hospital, a long standing member of the New Bedford and Fall River Chambers of Commerce and a member of the Northeast States Sign Association. He had served as Vice President and Board Member of Downtown New Bedford, Inc. for over 10 years.

Alex joined Poyant as a Project Manager in September of 2017. In this role, Alex supported the account executive for Bristol and Plymouth Counties, Cape Cod and Rhode Island. In 2019, Alex was promoted to Estimator due to his increased understanding of the signage process.

Alex is a graduate from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications Media. Prior to joining Poyant, Alex spent 7 years working in the Events industry. His background in this industry includes Field Services, Sales and Project Management.

When not at work, Alex can be found on the golf course. His other interests include reading, watching Jeopardy and following the Boston sports teams.

James joined Poyant in May of 2017. His role of lead estimator sees him create and submit daily schedules, advise the estimating department and others on key developments and strategies regarding challenging projects, as well as estimating architectural signage, bid work and large-scale projects such as sports stadiums, casinos and transportation hubs like airports and Boston’s MBTA.

James has been in the signage and architectural metals industry since 1991 where he was an apprentice sign fabricator with the Union of Signpainters and Allied Trades. After starting his BFA at UMASS Amherst, James earned his BSBA at Kennedy-Western University. Since then, he has held various positions in the sign industry such as fabrication & installation, design, sales, project management and production management, in addition to estimating for companies like Pattison Sign Group and YESCO. This diverse experience allows James to excel in his current role by anticipating the needs of each department, while simultaneously delivering the accurate and on-time pricing which our clients demand.

James lives in Bad Mergentheim, Germany with his wife Eve, their son Sam and their golden retriever, Buster. During his off-time, James enjoys writing, drawing & painting, wood-working and trail-running.

Deb joined Poyant Signs in January of 2024 as a Senior Project Manager of the Project Management Team supporting Senior Account Executive, Jason Fredette.

Deb comes to Poyant with 20 years of extensive project management experience in the signage industry.

Prior to coming to Poyant Signs, Deb served in several positions at Barlo Signs International in Hudson, NH., including Outsourcing Manager, Senior Project Manager and Traffic Manager supporting accounts including Market Basket, BAE Systems, Ninety-Nine Restaurant, Domino’s, Metro Credit Union, Blue Bird Self-Storage, RA Ventures (110 Grill, Evviva Trattoria & Kelly’s Roast Beef), Sullivan Tire, Hitchiner Manufacturing, Newbury Comics, Mascoma Bank and Avidia Bank. Deb also held project management positions with Federal-Heath and Metro Sign and Awning.

Deb resides in Pelham NH with her husband John, their daughter, her fiancé and Pearl, their family dog.

Deb enjoys cooking and attending the NHRA Drag Racing series each year at New England Dragway in Epping NH. She also enjoys spending quality time with family and friends.

Jeanne joined Poyant in September of 2018 as Project Manager. In her role, she currently supports the Account Executive for Bristol and Plymouth Counties, Cape Cod and Rhode Island, handling multiple accounts, including BayCoast Bank and Southcoast Health. She enjoys the challenge of learning to complete the project on time, on budget and with high quality results. Jeanne uses her previous experience outside the industry to help her assess situations quickly and minimize project threats. During her time at Poyant, she has attended the 2018 NSSA Sign Expo and has completed training with the International Sign Association in Digital Signage, Project Management, and Sign Design.

Before joining Poyant, Jeanne taught in both Texas and Massachusetts for 15 years. Jeanne also worked as a Customer Service Representative at Davico Manufacturing and Metropolitan Press. Through this experience, Jeanne understands how to work effectively as part of a team, how to show initiative, and how to prioritize tasks with ever-changing demands.

Outside of work, Jeanne likes to spend time with her family, which includes 19 nieces and nephews. She is a bit of a foodie and enjoys both cooking and working on her photography. She lives in New Bedford with Henry, her mischievous but adorable cat.

Natalia joined Poyant in October of 1999 and is a senior member of the Project Management team. Her first position with the company was the Assistant to the General Manager. In 2001, due to her considerable people skills and empathy, Natalia was promoted to Human Resource Manager and Permit Coordinator. In 2003, when the position of Project Manager became available she was promoted again and entrusted with a key retail account. In 2007, Natalia became the lead project manager for the CVS account, responsible for all new store development and remodels. Under her guidance and partnership with sales, they have been able to strengthen and grow the account, expanding the territory into New York and Pennsylvania. In 2018, Natalia was promoted to Senior Project Manager due to her ability to exceed expectations based on the Project Manager’s responsibilities and priorities. She has developed a clear understanding of what is required for a timely installation to occur, how to beat her budgets on every job she manages, and how to prepare Poyant’s Team the best she can on each of her projects. Natalia has continued to evolve and adapt as the industry has changed and is spearheading the CVS Rebrand project.

Prior to coming to Poyant Natalia earned an Associate Degree in Business Administration from Bristol Community College. She has experience in Office Management from Birchwood Realty. Natalia worked closely with the ownership to grow and develop the business from 5 Sales Agents to 20, and with that she was instrumental in increasing the sales volume that went from $15 million to $50 million in the Residential Real Estate Market in just 3 years.

Natalia is a certified Spinning Instructor and enjoys teaching and training at the gym. In the summer, she can be found dockside on Long Pond relishing the water and sun. She has three beautiful daughters and uses her spare time enjoying the company of her family and friends.

Ruben joined the Poyant team in 2017 as Director of Operations. In his role, he is responsible for Production, Purchasing, Materials Management, Loading, Shipping and Receiving, Field Services and Fleet Maintenance. He works with the staff to continue the effort of improving production scheduling, production and installation efficiencies and expanding R&D capabilities of the company. Ruben is a seasoned manager with a proven track record of designing and implementing operational improvements.

Before joining Poyant, Ruben held the position of Director of Operations for TWD Surfaces. Prior to that, he was a Manufacturing Manager for Butler Automatic Inc., a global specialized packaging equipment design/build manufacturer. Through these past experiences, he has developed various skills in areas such as lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, production planning and operational excellence. Ruben’s addition to Poyant brings more opportunity to improve efficiency for all aspects of our operation and enhance our capabilities to provide additional solutions to our customers.

Ruben attends Bridgewater State University to earn a Bachelor of Science in Operations Management. He is currently a member of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME), the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) and SME.

He resides in New Bedford, MA with his fiancee and three children.

Stephanie rejoined the company as fourth generation in our 80 year old family business in 2015 as an Account Executive serving the home base of Bristol County as well as Plymouth County and Rhode Island. In 2018, Stephanie was promoted to Director of Design, Estimating and Project Management, where she was responsible for overseeing and driving efficiencies in these critical areas of the business to ensure the support of our Sales Team and our customers. In 2019, she was then promoted to Director of Sales Operations, responsible for leading the Sales and Business Development Team, in addition to her responsibilities in leading Design, Estimating and Project Management. Stephanie’s leadership and guidance will more effectively coordinate and leverage all of our Business Development, Sales, Design, Estimating and Project Management resources to maximize customer service and revenue growth.

Stephanie previously worked at Poyant from 2001 to 2007. During that time she was Project Manager for the highest volume sales executive in the company and was responsible for the project management of our company’s largest accounts including CVS/pharmacy, Brooks Pharmacy, Shaw’s Supermarkets, Webster Bank and WS Development. She also handled the project management of some of our company’s largest conversion projects including Osco Drug to Brooks Pharmacy (80 stores), Shaw’s Pharmacy to Osco Pharmacy (40 stores) and the Webster Bank logo conversion (100 branches). From 2005 to 2007 she took on the role of Scheduling & Field Services Coordinator. Stephanie was responsible for planning, logistics and management of the Installation and Service Schedule to ensure on-time delivery and efficient response for all company accounts.

Before rejoining Poyant, Stephanie held the position of Senior Director of Marketing and Public Relations at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Prior to that, she was the Public Information Officer and New Media Specialist at Southcoast Health System and was the Public Information Officer and Executive Assistant to Mayor Scott W. Lang of the City of New Bedford.

Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Science in Operations Management and Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She is a past Chair of the Board of Managers at the New Bedford YMCA, Waterfront Historic Area League (WHALE) Wine Festival Committee and a past member of the Fort Taber-Fort Rodman Historical Association Board of Directors and the Whaling History Alliance. Stephanie is a member of the 2015 International Sign Association Elite Class.

Stephanie resides in Fairhaven with her husband, Ross, their three daughters, Elle, Vera and Reis, and their son, Rory.

Jason joined Poyant in 2005. In this role he directed the sales, design, estimating, service and project management teams to enhance our client’s image and user experience. In September of 2017, Jason became a Senior Executive Account Manager, serving the areas of Braintree to I-90 and Western MA.

Jason has over 20 years of experience within the signage industry, with a concentration on complex architectural and signage elements found within retail and mixed use developments. He has worked closely with many of the leading design and construction firms within the New England market. As a result, Jason has extensive experience converting client’s unique ideas into real solutions that provide value, quality and longevity in supporting their brand.

Jason received his BS in Industrial Design from Wentworth Institute of Technology. He also holds an Unrestricted MA Construction Supervisors license.

Ray has over 45 years of experience in all aspects of the sign industry including fabrication, installation, and service. He joined Poyant in 2019 coming from Dion Signs where he owned and operated the business with his brothers for over three decades.

Ray brings a wealth of knowledge and dedication to quality and customer satisfaction to Poyant. He is responsible for growing our business in the Rhode Island market.

He serves on the Board of Directors for the Northeast States Sign Association (NSSA) and sits on the Executive Board for the Rhode Island Sign Contractors Association (RISCA).

Ray lives in North Smithfield RI with his wife Jeanne. He enjoys sharing his passion for country living and gardening with his grandchildren.

For over 25 years, Tony has been a noteworthy leader in the accounting world. You may know him for his work as Staff Accountant at Child & Family Services in New Bedford, but Tony can also be credited for his work as A/R Accountant for Double E Company in West Bridgewater, MA, Accountant for Butler Automatic in Middleboro, MA, Plant Accounting Manager for Okonite in Cumberland, RI and most recently Senior Accountant for Mid-City Steel/Mid-City Scrap in Westport, MA.

As controller for Poyant, Tony is responsible for overseeing all aspects and functionality of the Finance Department.

Tony was born on the beautiful island of Bermuda, raised in the Azores, and moved to the United States in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Science-Account from UMass Dartmouth and currently resides in Dartmouth, MA. Outside of work, Tony enjoys spending time with his family, watching sports, traveling, cycling, and everything music. His favorite quote is “Don’t major in minor things.”

Rachel joined Poyant in 2012 as our Sales and Marketing Coordinator. In this role, she led our marketing efforts to strengthen our brand and sales initiatives. Rachel delivered focused results that leveraged our sales and marketing opportunities. As a result of her willingness to learn and exceed expectations, Rachel was promoted to Project Manager and then, Project Manager LEAD in 2018. As Project Manager LEAD, Rachel supported the Project Management Team by assisting in the defining and continuous refining of all project management roles and responsibilities and project management standard operating procedures. She has a proven track record of assisting in the hiring and training of new Project Managers and received her PMP certificate in 2017.

In 2019, Rachel was promoted to Project Management Supervisor. In her current role, Rachel is responsible for the leadership, coaching, and development of the Project Management Team in maintaining the highest level of performance in their role. She leads the effort to define and continuously refine the Project Management Roles and Responsibilities and the Project Management Standard Operating Procedures. Other responsibilities include creating, maintaining, and implementing the Project Management Training Manual and leading the hiring/development of the Project Management Team. Rachel also continues to maintain the responsibilities that she held as the Project Manager LEAD.

Rachel is a member of the 2016 International Sign Association (ISA) Elite Class and a member of the 2017 Northeast States Sign Association (NSSA) Elite Class. She graduated from Bridgewater State University in 2009 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Marketing. She also holds an Associate’s Degree in Accounting from Massasoit Community College.

Rachel lives in Fairhaven with her husband Alex and their son Gabriel. She enjoys playing volleyball, exercising, and spending time with friends and family.