Lori and Gary Webb were already doing fairly well as owners of Ancient City Screen Graphics on U.S. 1 South, mailing screen printed and embroidered T-shirts from their Designated Diver line to dive shops and dive resorts around the world, with customers as far away as Malaysia and Australia.
Profits were good, but not blockbuster.
But recently, their "It's What I Do" line was licensed by a national distributor, Coed Sportswear of Newfields, N.H., which will produce and market active-wear to department stores and clothing outlets nationally.
That, said Gary Webb, means "unlimited growth potential for very large sales and distribution. It's rare that a small company can develop something with national and potentially international appeal."
The shirts combine the company's name and catchphrase all in one.
"It's What I Do" shirts feature a dog named "Harley" doing 37 different sports -- scuba diving, golfing, fly fishing, kayaking, snowboarding, cycling and motorcycling -- identifying the wearer as being one with that sport.
For non-sporting individuals, there are also shirts showing Harley watching TV, basking in the sun, playing guitar, playing drums and toasting friends with a beer.
Webb compares his new line to the already universal brand, "Life is Good," which brings in $120 million a year.
"We weren't even aware of (that brand) when we developed It's What I Do," he said.
The Webbs, together 32 years, began their screen printing business in 1988, using their garage as a factory.
Lori, a Jacksonville native, is president of the company, Gary, from Erie, Pa., is vice president and creative director.
Their line of shirts featuring zoo animals was successful for a while, becoming the No. 1 T-shirt sold at the Bronx (N.Y.) Zoo for two years. In addition they developed a line of endangered species shirts. The inspiration came from a Florida panther cub that they had raised to adulthood.
In 1991, their in-house artist developed design prototypes of 3-D T-shirts, which were initially seen positively by a few buyers. But the two main companies they had won over, Spencer Gifts in Atlantic City and Disney World in Orlando, became involved in various negotiations -- Spencer was being sold and Disney World was negotiating with the family of the late Jim Henson.
"We thought that (the 3-D shirts) were our multi-bazzion dollar idea," Gary Webb said.
Their artist, tired of waiting, left. But he left behind four diving-themed designs, and the Webbs eventually used them to begin their Designated Diver Sportswear line.
Webb said Harley was developed first as a human character, but they realized a dog would work better.
So they commissioned commercial artist Dave Messing of Livonia, Mich., who also illustrates children's books, to do the current Harley.
Lori Webb said, "He saw the potential of the brand."
They both have knocked on the door of major retailers for years and now one has opened.
"It was an excruciating process," Gary Webb said. "We figured we were on our own. You struggle and struggle trying to hit upon something with national potential. Only a select few ever make it there."