A Grind Day, a Home Depot Refresh, and Installing Signs for a Friend | Leaman Signs Vlog #004

Not every week has a dramatic centerpiece project. Sometimes it's just heads-down, get-it-done work — and Episode 004 of Life at Leaman Signs is honest about that. Multiple jobs running simultaneously, a delayed install, guys heading out of town, and one moment that hits a little differently than the rest.

Multiple Jobs, Multiple Sites

The week is a juggling act. Two guys are back at Sobeys on Topsail Road wrapping up final touches on the interior package — a few client-requested changes still to sort out, but the finish line is close. Another two are putting in a half day at No Frills in Village Mall, continuing the interior work there. The car dealership exterior building signs get pushed again, this time because of wind, but they'll be back the next day to get it done.

Two crew members are also heading out of town for three days on the drive-through menu board survey project that was mentioned last week. Before they leave, Greg's truck needs an oil change and a once-over for the highway — the kind of unglamorous logistics that keep everything moving.

As Greg puts it: nothing super exciting, nothing dramatic to show for it, but things are getting done. That's most of the job, honestly.

Home Depot Refresh via Pride Signs

A new package arrives at the shop — crates of exterior signage for a Home Depot refresh. This one comes through Pride Signs, a national sign company that holds accounts across Canada and the US and subcontracts installation work to local companies like Leaman Signs. They ship the full package, fully fabricated, and the local team handles getting it to site and installed.

It's a side of the sign industry that doesn't always get talked about: a lot of the work that happens here isn't just direct client projects, but subcontract installs for national accounts. It's a reliable stream of work, and Pride Signs has been a good long-term partner.

On Looking Level vs. Being Level

During one of the installs this week — acrylic letters for Newfoundland Canvas — Greg takes a moment to talk through something that sounds simple but actually takes experience to get right: what "level" really means on a sign installation.

When the mounting surface isn't perfectly true, putting a sign up at a technically correct level can actually make it look wrong. If the steel behind it is slightly off, you level to the steel — to what looks parallel and symmetrical — not to an absolute plane. The goal is always what looks right to the eye when someone walks up to it. An eighth of an inch height difference between two panels is enough to make something look crooked even when it isn't, and look perfect even when it technically isn't level. It's the kind of judgment call that only comes from doing the work.

Installing Letters for Newfoundland Canvas

The most meaningful moment of the episode comes quietly. Greg heads out personally to install acrylic interior letters at Newfoundland Canvas — a job that would normally go to one of the crew, but this one is different.

Newfoundland Canvas was founded by Adam Kavanagh. Greg and Adam met about 14 years ago, right around the time they were both starting their companies. Over the years they became close — like brothers, Greg says. Their friend groups merged, they built their businesses alongside each other, and Adam became uncle to Greg's kids.

Adam passed away two months ago.

Greg talks about it in the car on the way over, and admits he was in tears just trying to explain where they were going. On camera, he gets emotional again. It's one of those moments that reminds you there's a lot of life woven into the fabric of a business — the clients, the suppliers, the long-term relationships that go well beyond transactions.

The business is still running. The team at Newfoundland Canvas is carrying it forward. And Leaman Signs is going to do whatever they can to support them.

It's a heavy thing to carry into a workday, and Greg carries it with a lot of love.

The full episode is embedded above. Subscribe to the Leaman Signs YouTube channel for a new episode every week.