Celebrating its 50th birthday later this year, B&S Visual Technologies of Glasgow can look at a progression from what was once a modest commercial photographic studio to its position today as one of the UK's largest graphics production units - a unit which this year will have an estimated turnover of close on #6m.
It is still expanding, already taking two new divisions on board this year at its headquarters in Finnieston - a screen printing company and an exhibition stand building operation.
''I see our future as being one of further expansion,'' said managing director Steven Shear. ''We are in a business in which global technology advances at such a rate that it is impossible to predict exactly where it is going.
''But whatever the advances ahead we are determined to be there at the forefront, both in terms of training and investment. That may include future new satellite units operating outside Glasgow and Scotland.
''We are concentrating on Two D imaging and display, and there is plenty of scope remaining for us to grow in these areas.''
The B&S base straddles both sides of Elliot Street, Finnieston. Much of it is new build, 40,000 sq ft of accommodation whichprovides a spacious and modern location for a company which Shear describes as a one-stop production service facility for designers and photographers.
''They can come to us and we can handle the entire job from beginning to end. We don't sub-contract, we concentrate on service, quality and reliability.
''To stay there in the forefront, we invest up to #500,000 every year on new technology, taking the best available internationally - but at the end of the day this company is all about people.
''We run constant training and updating courses for everyone in the company, involving in-house courses, outside consultants, and colleges. The loyalty factor and professionalism both matter here - and we can point to a very low turnover of staff.''
Clients that result include prestige names like Kew Gardens and a long list of major companies in several industries. Work handled includes film processing and photographic printing, mounting and laminating, copying and duplicating, outdoor billboard and colour laser copying.
The long list of other specialised services includes large format digital printing, archiving, and giant murals. Shear has an ''inner circle'' team of key management figures with Mark Brown as director and general manager, David Fingland as production director, Malcolm Brown as technical division controller and Donald Gillanders as business development manager.
Between them, they head an operation which they see as being devoted to combining quality with an absolute meeting of deadlines.
''Our main client bases are the design fraternity and the photographic fraternity.
''We don't employ photographers or graphic designers, we don't carry out design or make-up work, and we deal with many end-user customers who have their own marketing departments. Some may provide us with a disc or similar items.
''They come to us because we provide a service from the front end right through to the finished product. We are in the imaging business, visual technology ready to meet client needs - and we are ready to adapt that technology as and when the client base calls for change.''
White B&S vans, widely known for their cheerful slogan Ever Expanding, illustrated by colourful portrayals of regiments of rabbits, can be found servicing customers throughout the United Kingdom.
That slogan typifies thoughts behind the firm's newest projects. Taking aboard a screen printing company is seen as an important add-on service filling a previous gap. Employing 14 people, it also covers sign writing and banner work.
The second division, devoted to exhibition and stand construction, working to client briefs, is also regarded as totally complementary to the firm's other range of services. We have already carried out work at exhibition sites in London, Paris, and in other European centres,'' said Shear.
''I see that as another part of providing a comprehensive service for clients who may come to us from anywhere. We are a production facility, ready to provide whatever the client may need.''
A 50th birthday requires celebrations, and these are already being planned for the summer for customers and staff.
Although retired, Sidney Shear still looks in occasionally to see the way in which the firm he founded has grown and prospered.
''From the start he made reliability and quality his watchwords,'' said his son. ''I'm proud to keep on in exactly that tradition, even if we are now working in the very different world of today's and tomorrow's technology.''
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article