Siblings overcome family tragedy to plan for expansion of booming signage business

SIBLINGS overcame family tragedy to launch an innovative design and manufacturing business.

After growing up in London and Brighton, Tashka and Krystn Yeomans – directors of Warehaus Signs in Mochdre – moved to North Wales with their mum Lynn as teenagers to begin a new life in Conwy.

Sadly, Lynn passed away while they were studying at university, leaving them to raise younger brother and sister Mielan and Caedia, who were just teenagers at the time.

After completing their studies in Fine Art and Marine Biology respectively, Tashka and Krystn began working with a friend in the design industry, creating props and unique items, before deciding to take the plunge and go it alone five years ago.

“When mum passed away it was up to us to care for Mielan and Caedia, it was just the four of us as we had no other family up here, so we had to stick together,” said Krystn.

“They were still in school, so we began doing design work on a freelance basis from home, then we eventually moved to a shipping container, and then to our own premises in Mochdre where we have invested a lot in cutting-edge equipment and machinery.”

Tashka added: “It has been a rollercoaster ride and we didn’t have any contracts in place at the beginning so there were a few lessons learned but we had the bug to make and create and knew we had the determination to make a success of it.”

With guidance and advice from BusinessWales, they diversified into creating and producing signage and delivering complementary services such as vehicle graphics, printing, retail displays and interior design for clients across multiple sectors including tourism, law, health, and the trades.

Tashka now leads the in-house design team, while Krystn has responsibility for manufacturing.

With long-term plans to open further Warehauses in Cardiff and north east Wales – to serve their growing customer base in those areas – and a team of five staff, Tashka believes the “end to end” experience and “individuality” are what sets them apart.

“We often get people who want a logo or sign that doesn’t reflect them or their personality, they’ve just seen something they like elsewhere and point to that,” said the mum-of-one, whose son Luca was born just months after they launched the firm.

“We go on a journey with them, from designing the logo to installing the signage, and take great pride in the end result because it’s authentic; everyone is different so it’s important to stand out, and we help businesses to do that.”

Krystn added: “We are continuing to develop both sides of Warehaus and have been so busy in past months, it’s been non-stop.

“This year we also decided to launch a branded, corporate gift service with a focus on bespoke wooden crafted items as it’s a composite of our business, sustainable, and will provide companies and private customers with a different option. A new online shop will enable us to promote that on our website soon.

“We are in a good place with a phenomenal team and have ridden through several storms, which have only made us stronger.

“Tashka and I thank those people who have been with us along the way, especially the loyal customers we have forged partnerships with through the pandemic. Family is everything and that family feeling is something we will never lose – it’s our identity.”