"We've been running lean for the last year or so and we decided let's commit ourselves to further growth," said John, who becomes managing director. "Instead of our guys working weekends and late each day, we wanted to give ourselves room to be more proactive in sales and innovation, and get control of production."
Sixty per cent of Textiles Alive's sales are printing flags, banners and portable display systems but the company sees potential in developing short run, custom-made products.
It has produced designs and printed fabric for lamp shades, bean bags, umbrellas, parachutes, ice cream freezers, sportswear and even cushions placed on wine barrels.
For one client, Textiles Alive printed advertising on a 25 metre long kite - shaped like a wind sock - which ended up in a Malaysian festival. Last year it finished off the look of the SkyCity Deck Bar in Auckland.
"We will have a go at anything that's printable - home finishings, office fitouts and commercial architecture," said John. "We will visit the premises, measure it up and then figure out how to do it."
He said the printing industry overseas, particularly in Europe, was moving towards textiles and sustainability and away from solvent inks and heavy media. For instance, vinyl and solvent ink displays are barred in many overseas indoor exhibitions because of the fumes.
"The same (sustainability) is happening in New Zealand and we are trying to position ourselves in a unique position," John said. "We keep an open mind on what we do and the innovation excites the staff - they want to have a crack at it."
Over the past four years Textiles Alive has worked hard on building relationships with clients and servicing them.
"We have had to work through the recession but it hasn't stopped us going out and seeing clients - that's important for us to establish integrity and trust," John said. "New Zealand is a small place and if you do something wrong, then you are soon found out."
Despite the recession, Textiles Alive experienced annual growth of about 30 per cent during that period - it was 26 per cent last year and the company is aiming for at least 15 per cent growth this year. It wants to double its turnover of $2.5 million within four years.
Wayne Heyworth started out in Tauranga in 2002 screen printing T-shirts under the name Colourworks and then decided the future was in digital textile printing. He sold the screen printing business and four years ago rebranded under Textiles Alive.
It soon became known nationally after winning successive gold medals in the Pride in Print awards - for the World of Wearable Art banner and Lotto's Big Winners Neptune flag.
Textiles Alive also switched from retailing to wholesaling, and supplies promotions and event management, signage and other printing companies, and garment manufacturers which re-sell the products.
Twenty months ago Textiles Alive moved from Newton St into new premises in Aerodrome Rd next to the airport, doubling its size to 800 sq and also its capacity with two dye sublimation and two direct to fabric printing machines.
The digital printing at Textiles Alive is completed two ways.
Once the graphic designers are finished with the designs and they are ticked off by the customer, the flags are printed on the direct machines and the others on the sublimation machines.
The dye sublimation machine first prints the designs on coated paper and the next day they are heat pressed onto a variety of fabric.
The staff will also sew the banners, flags, display systems and other products, and provide framing where necessary.
Wayne Heyworth has spent a total of 27 years in the printing trade in two spells - starting as a 16-year-old apprentice at Auckland's Star newspaper - and he's seen plenty of changes. "It's gone from setting type up by hand to computerised. It's completely different to what it was 30 to 40 years ago. The jobs are done a lot quicker but customers also expect quicker service.
When he set up his own business, Wayne thought he would build it up and keep it running for five years and then sell it for his retirement fund. But that approach soon changed. "I'm proud of what the staff have achieved and my ambition is to see the business keep growing," said Wayne, who retires at the end of the month.
He will remain a director and retain a small shareholding, while handing over the majority stake and day-to-day running of the business to his son.
