Fifty Years in Print

Celebrating the Legacy of Payne Print & Sign

In 2026, Payne Print & Sign will mark an extraordinary milestone of 50 years in business, celebrating half a century of craftsmanship, resilience, and unwavering commitment to the Mackay community. What began as a humble family dream has grown into one of the region’s most respected print and signage businesses, built on hard work, loyalty, and a deep belief in doing things properly.

The Payne story in Mackay began well before the business itself. In 1970, Tom and Grace Payne moved their young family from Toowoomba to Mackay, drawn by opportunity and a desire to build a future in a growing regional centre. Tom took up work with a local printing company, honing his craft while quietly nurturing a bigger vision.

That vision became reality in 1976, when Tom and Grace established Payne Print, working alongside two family members. The early years were demanding, filled with long hours, modest returns, and relentless dedication, but momentum soon followed. By the early 1980s, all four Payne siblings, Kerry, Karen, Lyn, and John, had joined the business, and additional staff were required to keep pace with growing demand.

Growth came not just from skill, but from courage. Tom and Grace personally travelled west of Mackay, introducing Payne Print’s services to mining companies at a time when the region’s resource sector was beginning to boom. Their hands-on approach paid off. By 1986, the business had expanded to a team of 12, requiring the purchase of larger premises to support its future.

The turn of the millennium brought further expansion, with mining contracts flowing in and investment in new machinery and staff becoming essential. Then, in 2008, disaster struck when the Turner Street factory was devastated by flooding. True to the Payne spirit, the business rebuilt, emerging stronger, with new equipment and renewed determination.

Around 2010, Tom stepped into retirement, entrusting the business he built with such care to his family and loyal employees. That trust proved well placed. Payne Print continued to thrive, guided by the values Tom instilled from day one of honesty, craftsmanship, and exceptional service.

Community has always been central to the Payne ethos. The business has long supported charities, sporting clubs, and local organisations, a commitment recognised in 2016 when Payne Print won the Resource Industry Network Award for Connecting with the Community.

In 2018, the business took another significant step forward, expanding into signage and formally becoming Payne Print & Sign. The move allowed the company to offer complete print and signage solutions, combining traditional expertise with modern digital and large-format capabilities, a decision that has proven pivotal to its continued success.

From Tom’s earliest days, working with little more than a second-hand guillotine and a Platen Letterpress machine, to today’s state-of-the-art operation, quality has never been compromised. Stories still circulate of Tom working through the night to meet a deadline, a standard of excellence that remains deeply ingrained in the business today.

Now, approaching its 50th year, Payne Print & Sign employs 28 dedicated staff, servicing clients across Mackay, the Whitsundays, and the Coalfields. Many of the company’s earliest clients, particularly within the mining sector, remain loyal supporters, a testament to relationships built on trust and reliability.

Though Tom, Grace, and John have since passed, their legacy lives on in every project completed, every client relationship maintained, and every employee who carries their vision forward. They would be immensely proud of what Payne Print & Sign has become.

As the business looks ahead to the next chapter, one thing remains unchanged: Payne Print & Sign is, at its heart, a family business, grounded in tradition, driven by innovation, and deeply connected to the community it has proudly served for five decades.

Here’s to 50 years of print, people, and pride and many more to come.

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