The purpose of the recapitalization is to support our growing operations, enable expansion of our capabilities, and fund future acquisitions. The partnership with Heritage Growth allows Larry Morgan, an investor and partner in the business since 2005, to focus efforts on his expanding auto dealership business, Morgan Auto Group.

“We are elated to enter this next phase of our growth and thank Larry Morgan for his longstanding and continuing support of our growth objectives,” said Jamie Harden, Chief Executive Officer of Creative. “In addition to capital, Heritage Growth brings strategic relationships and acquisition expertise which will help us reach our true potential. We look forward to accelerating our growth organically as well as expanding the business through selective acquisitions that bolster our capabilities and broaden our reach.”

Heritage Growth Managing Partner, Alex Mammen, who has joined the Board of Creative, added, “We are excited to partner with Jamie and the entire Creative team to help them reach their growth objectives and better serve their expanding client base. From the onset, we have been impressed by the culture, values, and leadership of the Creative team and their impressive roster of projects which includes a number of high-profile clients in the transportation, industrial, hospitality, multi-family, healthcare and education sectors.”

“Driven by differentiated design, a highly capable and experienced project management team and an impressive in-house manufacturing platform, Creative checks all of the boxes not just for its clients but for us as investment partners,” said Evan Toporek, Partner at Heritage Growth, who also joined the Board of Creative as part of the recapitalization. “We look forward to helping Creative further establish itself as an industry leader.”

The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce envisions an engaged and inclusive community-driven by business prosperity. As the incoming Chair, Jamie is focused on a number of key initiatives:

• Partnering with various community stakeholders to effectively launch the new transportation initiative that voters approved for Hillsborough County.
• Expanding our Education Connection/Workforce development program.
• Forming an affordable housing caucus.
• Looking for long-term, sustainable solutions for the Hillsborough County school system’s needs.
• Continuing to support the Tampa Bay Rays staying in Tampa Bay.
• Finding new and better ways to incorporate our military into the Tampa Bay business community.
• Growing/scaling our Minority Business Accelerator (MBA) effort.

While leading Creative Sign Designs for over 13 years, Jamie has become immensely involved with numerous community and business associations in the Tampa Bay area and beyond. He was previously the chairman of the CEO Council of Tampa Bay, a member of the Board of Governors for The Florida State University College of Business, Treasurer of the Young President’s Organization (YPO) Florida Chapter as well as an honorary commander for the 927th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base.

Jamie looks forward to furthering the Chamber’s mission to serve its members and enhance our community by building business success.

The new front entrance signage gives guests their first look into the monumental modifications that are happening at ZooTampa. Prior to the launch, Creative Sign Designs worked overnight installing the major masterpiece. Creative Sign Designs created a fun time-lapse video of the progress.

The new signage is only the first of many fresh changes that the Zoo will be making, as part of their contemporary rebranding. In addition to the new signage, the Zoo has debuted a new website and is in the process of revitalizing the Florida area.

Creative will also be installing newly branded in-park signage, which identifies each of the Zoo’s unique geographic areas, as well as new directional sign posts and maps. They will also be installing new informational signs around key animal locations. The installations will continue through the end of April.

The Zoo’s partnership with Creative stemmed from the relationship between the two companies’ head executives. Jamie Harden, CEO of Creative, and Joe Couceiro, CEO of ZooTampa, have been friends for years and met through their affiliation with the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. With Harden’s impressive roster of local clients, Couceiro chose to bring the Creative team on to be part of the Zoo’s revitalization.

Since it was founded in 1986, Creative has grown to be the leader in custom signage. This year alone, Creative has helped refresh and rebrand some of Tampa’s leading companies and organizations, including the Tampa Bay Times, the Mahaffey Theater, the Ybor City Development Corporation and now the Zoo. The Creative team is excited to continue to build relationships and partner with brands in every industry.

Stay connected to see how the project evolves.