WATERLOO - While retail business at Craft-Cochran was struggling in the 1990s, the owners found a booming business in screen printing and embroidery. As that business has grown, the space in its two buildings hasn't. In a move that is more than a year in the making, the company will be able to operate under one roof.

Employees and owners Keith Sandvold and Steve Miles began moving equipment and supplies into the business' new building at 3122 Titan Trail Drive. Before the move, retail and printing operations were done at two locations with one at 1111 Ansborough Ave. in Waterloo and at Standard Screen Print, 6620 Nordic Drive in Cedar Falls Industrial Park.

"This is a great building," said Linda Miles, Craft-Cochran business manager. "We hate to leave it but we just didn't have room."

The new 17,000-square-foot building will double the business' printing capacity, said Steve Miles. The business also will be another anchor for Green Belt Centre, a budding development north of the former Waterloo Greyhound Park that also includes Mauer Eye Center.

"We're gambling that we'll do well out there," said Sandvold. "I'd be proud to be an anchor out here."

Sandvold said he wanted the business to remain in Waterloo where it had been a presence since 1948. Craft-Cochran opened the 7,000-square-foot Ansborough store in the fall of 1994, but Steve Miles said it outgrew its space in about two years as the emphasis of the business shifted to screen printing.

"That's just part of the growth stage, which is good," he said.

Miles designed the building and said the efficiency of having all operations under one roof can double the business' output and let them put equipment to work that had previously sat unused.

He said he hopes for production to begin as early as Wednesday.