By 1950, Shaheen had engineered and built his own machinery to print, dye, and finish his fabrics. By 1952, Shaheen was printing more than 60,000 yards of fabric per month under the name Surf 'n Sand Hand Prints. In 1956, Shaheen built an $8,000,000 factory, showroom, and office complex, and by 1959 he employed 400 people, sold garments worldwide, owned his own chain of retail stores in Hawaii, and grossed more than $4,000,000 annually. Shaheen attributes these achievements to Surf 'n Sand and his ability to print and produce his own fabrics.

Surf 'n Sand, the Alfred Shaheen label under which Shaheen first printed his legendary textile designs and fabrics, has a rich history. Like other Hawaiian manufacturers of his day, Shaheen's aloha wear was originally made with textiles imported from the mainland. However, using these imported textiles had serious drawbacks and Shaheen soon realized that if he wanted to survive, he must find a way to create his own fabrics. Shaheen set up Surf 'n Sand Hand Prints, his first print plant, in a Quonset hut on the outskirts of town and began scouring Honolulu's junkyards for parts to use in building his equipment. With two inexperienced local workers, Shaheen began building his machinery.

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