CI Group

What CI Group does

CI Group, Inc. is a privately held visual design agency headquartered at 2 Mill Street, Peabody, MA, on Boston's North Shore. Founded in 1986 by co-founders Barb Kasa-Hanna (Graphic Design / CFO) and Hal Reynolds (Co-Founder), the firm has operated continuously for over 30 years delivering custom graphic solutions to enterprise clients. Its service portfolio spans interior and exterior signage (including ADA-compliant and Covid-19 signage), custom murals, exhibits and displays, branded merchandise (laser-engraved and embroidered), product photography, technical illustration, stairway graphics, and event planning and staging. Projects are delivered end-to-end from conception through installation.

The firm employs 11–50 people and operates as a horizontal, project-based professional services business. Revenue is generated through custom quote-based engagements sourced directly via phone and email, with marketing driven by a portfolio-driven website, organic search, and social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter). Notable enterprise clients include GE Aviation (since 1986), Wayfair, Salem State University, Gorton's, Baker Hughes, AMC Theatres, and PACCAR. There is no disclosed external investment, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no public listing.

Commercially, CI Group's differentiator is its full-service design-to-installation capability, range of in-house fabrication techniques (vinyl, acrylic, dimensional lettering, laser engraving, embroidery), and multi-decade client relationships anchored on the founders' personal involvement. There is no evidence in the input of AI/ML capabilities, software platform, recurring SaaS revenue, or geographic expansion beyond New England. The firm is essentially a founder-operated design and production studio whose primary risk is key-person dependence on the two co-founders.

Name

CI Group

Legal name

CI Group, Inc.

Website

https://cigroupinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CI Group is a privately held visual design agency in Peabody, MA, founded in 1986 that delivers custom signage, murals, exhibits, branded merchandise, photography, and technical illustration to enterprise clients across New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Graphic Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (54143), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Visual Identity & Brand Design Systems (BPAFAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Graphic Design & Visual Communications (Collateral, Illustration) (MPAAAEAC), Corporate & Brand Event Styling (Product Launches, Activations) (HSACAOAN)

Keywords

• Custom signage fabrication
• Graphic mural production
• Exhibit and display design
• Branded merchandise printing
• Commercial product photography

Headquarters

HQ city

Peabody

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Visual Design Services: Custom graphic solutions including signage, murals, exhibits and displays, branded merchandise, product photography, and technical illustration. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements from conception to installation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CI Group is a visual design agency that develops and produces custom graphic solutions for business clients, spanning interior and exterior signage, ADA signage, Covid-19 signage, graphic murals, exhibits and displays, branded merchandise (including laser-engraved and embroidered items), product photography, and technical illustration. Engagements are project-based and run from conception through design, fabrication, and installation.

Product overview

CI Group is a visual design agency offering a portfolio of graphic solutions including signage (interior, exterior, ADA, and Covid-19 signage), murals, exhibits and displays, branded merchandise (laser engraved and embroidery), product photography, and technical illustration. The company provides these services from concept to installation, serving clients on Boston's North Shore for over 30 years. The core offerings include Signage, Murals, Exhibits and Displays, Branded Merchandise, Product Photography, and Technical Illustration, with specialized sub-services like Laser Engraved products and Embroidery under branded merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Signage Interior and exterior signage solutions including fabricated signs, dimensional lettering, vinyl graphics, and ADA Romark plastics; the offering spans interior signs, exterior signs, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant signage, and Covid-19 branded social-distancing signage for businesses.
• Murals Custom graphic murals designed to incorporate architectural elements, produced and installed as canvas displays that create unique visual backdrops for interior spaces.
• Exhibits and Displays Creative exhibit and display solutions that transform spaces into storytelling environments through problem-solving design.
• Branded Merchandise Branded products including printed or embroidered items such as awards, giveaways, and custom branded items; capabilities include laser engraving on wood, metal, acrylic and other surfaces, and embroidered merchandise for customers and employees.
• Product Photography Photography services including location, portrait, and product photography with post-production editing for businesses marketing goods and capturing quality images.
• Technical Illustration Technical and precise line illustrations supporting instruction manuals, technical presentations, and publications.
• Event Planning & Staging Event transformation services including fabric, lighting, balloons, and decor used to brand and stage corporate celebrations.
• Stairway Graphics Visual graphics applied to stairway surfaces for unique interior designs and industrial product mock-ups (e.g., Wayfair stairway project).

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• YESCO: National signage fabrication and installation company offering custom signs, displays, and lighting solutions for enterprise clients, comparable in core offering to CI Group but at significantly larger scale.
• Signs.com: Online custom signage provider offering business signs, banners, and decals — a more digitally-native competitor that overlaps with CI Group's lower-complexity signage work at lower price points.
• FASTSIGNS: The largest franchise network of signage, graphics, and visual communications providers in North America, directly competing with CI Group on custom signage, graphics, and exhibit solutions for business clients.
• Pattison Sign Group: One of North America's largest signage, outdoor advertising, and visual display companies, offering end-to-end signage design, fabrication, and installation services that directly overlap with CI Group's core services.
• Poblocki Sign Company: Custom architectural signage, wayfinding, and environmental graphics company serving corporate, healthcare, education, and retail clients with end-to-end design and installation — directly comparable to CI Group's signage-centric offering.
• Allen Industries: National signage, graphics, and visual display provider serving corporate, retail, and architectural clients with design, fabrication, and installation — a scaled direct competitor to CI Group's full-service model.
• Identity Group: Provider of signage, branding, and visual communications solutions for corporate, retail, and institutional clients, with comparable full-service design, fabrication, and installation capabilities to CI Group.
• Artisan Complete: Custom branded merchandise, signage, and large-format graphics provider offering design, production, and fulfillment — directly comparable to CI Group's branded merchandise and signage lines.

Broad incumbents

• IDEO: Global design consultancy offering strategy, branding, and experience design across physical and digital touchpoints — a much broader incumbent whose environmental design and experience work overlaps with CI Group's exhibit and branding offerings.
• Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting and design firm with capabilities in brand identity, signage systems, and environmental design — a larger incumbent whose corporate branding work overlaps with CI Group's visual identity and signage offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CI Group