Home Grown with Shane Storie
by Leigh Patterson
One of Shane Storie’s most vivid childhood recollections is of a roadside sign for a memorial stone company. Storie, former foster kid and self-described “child of the Interlake” who had been shuttled around to eight schools before Grade 5, would see the highway sign on frequent trips into Winnipeg.
You could say it was a sign of bigger and better things to come.
At 18, Storie headed westward to B.C. to learn more about the sign trade and then returned to Winnipeg in 1997 at the age of 23. A family friend loaned him $5,000 to start his business and by 1998, SRS Signs & Service was in operation. Storie says he was doing “everything and anything,” from changing lightbulbs to maintaining and servicing signage around the city.
Then, in 2001, he was awarded a contract with McDonald’s franchises to maintain their signage. From there, property management became Storie’s bread and butter.
Fast forward to 2026 and now, as founder and president of SRS Signs & Service in Winnipeg, Storie oversees a centrally located, full-service shop specializing in commercial signage and lighting services. SRS Signs employs 30 people with skills in professional design, manufacturing, installation and service of both interior and exterior signage. The company also services clients across Canada.
SRS Signs offers start-to-finish interior and exterior sign services. The company has the capacity to create retail signs, channel lettering and vinyl vehicle graphics and wraps. Storie figures they’ve wrapped at least 1,200 vehicles, boats and semi-trucks. They also love working on custom wall murals for local businesses.
Hearkening back to Storie’s service roots, SRS Signs has a full fleet of service vehicles, including cranes that can handle installations up to 85 feet in the air. “We even manage the entire sign permit process on behalf of our clients,” notes Storie.
No matter the size, Storie’s team ensures an unparalleled level of quality in every job. It’s clear that Storie loves the promo and sign industry and the career he’s embraced for decades.
The walls of SRS Signs offices, and the entire 10,000-square-foot shop, are lined floor to ceiling with signs Storie has salvaged from former Winnipeg and Manitoba businesses. Touring SRS Signs is like taking a nostalgic visual trip through history, with vintage signs from Eaton’s, Clifford’s and the Winnipeg Roller Rink to name a few. “My work became my hobby,” laughs Storie, who is clearly smitten with his unique collection.
A true “people person,” Storie says his favourite part of the job is the excitement he feels helping people open or expand their businesses. “I love their reactions when their storefront sign is installed and they see the realization of their dream. Signage is very personal for business owners, who are often heavily involved in the process.”
With a loyal clientele built over the years, “business is bigger and more diverse than I could have imagined,” says Storie, who credits his incredible team, including many longtime employees, with the company’s success. He believes that their creativity and vibrancy set SRS Signs apart.
Because of his upbringing, Storie is committed to giving back to the community at-large, having served on the boards of the Winnipeg Construction Association (WCA), West End BIZ, The Link (formerly Macdonald Youth Services), and BOMA (Business Owners and Managers Association of Manitoba), to name a few.
