Decorator Profile
Proving it’s never too late to grow and advance your business is Axiom Printing & Embroidery, formerly known as K.C. Merchandising. After 20 years as a sole trader, Shivers Grewal is now joined in the business by his two eldest children, as they plan to take the business to the next level. P&P editor Melanie Attlesey finds out more.
The stars aligned S
hivers’ love affair with garment decoration began in the mid-90s while working in the accounts department of Winterland Productions. This San Francisco-based company is credited as being the founder of the concert tee and over the years was responsible for supplying garments and promotional accessories of tours for artists such as Tina Turner, Meatloaf, Madonna and Marilyn Manson, before filing for Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the late 90s. During his time at Winterland Productions, Shivers was privileged enough to visit some of the UK’s largest screen printers and in his own words was amazed at the process and became hooked.
Shivers left Winterland Productions in 1998 and the following year purchased a basic metal fabricated screen printing carousel, a tunnel dryer and a flash in a bid to go it alone from his garage in Hounslow.
Work for Shivers included individuals, local businesses, Sikh temples and charities. Shivers says K.C. Merchandising’s big break came in 2001 when he was approached by Loch Fyne Restaurants to supply the chain’s servers with tops with printed fronts, backs and sleeves, which were sponsored by Bombay Sapphire and Gordons Gin. This contract continued through to 2013, when after being purchased by Greene King in 2006, the pub retailer decided to use its preferred printer. At the peak, Shivers was printing for 45 restaurants. Other clients over the years have included Pizza Express, Regus Hilton Hotel Terminal 4 and various university societies, not forgetting local businesses and schools. One of the more recent projects that he has been involved with was on behalf of the Sikh gurdwara in Southall. The temple was raising funds to send to Punjab farmers in India who have been protesting in their thousands for many months over the introduction of three new farming laws last summer, which
| 60 | July 2021
loosen the rules around the sale, pricing and storage of farm produce. Shivers helped out by providing printed hi-vis waistcoats, T shirts, hoodies and car flags at cost, which could be purchased by the Sikh and Punjabi community to show their support.
A surprising fact
Perhaps what is most surprising is that for Shivers this was only ever a part-time business, as for the last 20 years he has worked full-time as a civil servant. Even managing to continue supplying
L-R: TJ, AJ, Isher, Shivers and Jeeves
to customers while serving as a British diplomat in Ghana for just over a year! Most recently, Shivers can be found on the frontline at Heathrow Airport working for Border Force.
You might be wondering why Shivers never followed his heart and went full-time with his flourishing garment decoration business. The answer lies with his parents. His father emigrated to the UK in 1964 from the Punjab and only wanted the best for his son and so encouraged Shivers to follow a respectable and stable career path. “I will always be very grateful for their advice and guidance as I would not be where I am today without them,” he adds.
Embroidering using the new eight-head Tajima
Investment in equipment Over the years Shivers has expanded and purchased further equipment all to continue advancing this side project. In 2004 he was offered a Hopkins four-station carousel, so sold his original carousel on eBay. Later that year he purchased a Roland CX-24 plotter/ cutter to be able to offer one-off garments. This was later upgraded to the GX-24 in 2014. Four years later, he won an eBay auction and purchased a nearly new single-head SWF embroidery machine. And in 2009 he won another eBay auction to secure a Panther 700 Texi tunnel, selling on the fabricated dryer afterwards.
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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