AFI Branding celebrates flying the flag for 30 years

Australia’s largest fabric printer, AFI Branding, celebrates hitting a business milestone, 30 years in operation, growing from a two-man band in 1992 to become an innovate high-tech company today.

Initially named Auto Flags International, the company was started by father and son team Al and Glenn Watson, with Glenn now managing director of the business.

AFI was founded to sell custom flag holders designed to fix to the outside of a car, featuring a small, detachable flag to be waved at whatever event the drivers were heading to. While the flag holder, brainchild of Al Watson, may not have taken off, the production of flags certainly did.

Over its three decades in print, AFI has serviced Australia’s retail, events and exhibitions industries including the Commonwealth Games (both 2006 and 2018) amongst its highlight projects. With a full service offering at its dedicated facility in Carrum Downs, AFI now offers industrial design, printing, sewing, fabrication, sales and despatch specialists within its team.

AFI was founded on a philosophy of innovation and being first to market. Glenn Watson, founder and strategic director said, “We might not always have had the answers or solutions, but we knew the places to go and the people to speak to, to ensure our business stayed one step ahead.”

Key to its development was a trip to Europe in the early 2000s, the team looking at how print technology and processes were evolving, and bringing them back to Australia. In 2006, AFI was the first company to offer 3 metre wide fabric printing in Australia.

"This was a real game changer for us” says Watson. “By being first to market, we were able to open up wide fabric printing within Australia to a range of new industries, like exhibitions and retail. Now, 16 years on, they have become core business streams for us.”

In October last year, AFI was acquired by IVE Group, Australia’s leading holistic marketing and print communications company. The acquisition means IVE now offers in house fabric printing for the first time in its rich 101year history.

Watson said, “‘If you’d asked me 30 years ago where Auto Flags International might end up, I don’t think either Al or I would have said here. From the offset we have valued our people, we have a passionate and talented team with a can-do mindset which really does make anything possible. That’s definitely an approach echoed at IVE, which makes the opportunities that lie ahead in our next chapter even more exciting.”

Later this year, AFI will join its parent company IVE Group, in a custom-built facility in Braeside, Victoria.