8 minute read
PEOPLE IN PRINT: DAVID WALTON
New owner prepares to invest in the future of Omnigraphics and MMTB
With David Walton becoming the new owner of Omnigraphics and MMTB, the companies now have a renewed focus and go-to-market strategy
David Walton, who became the CEO of Omnigraphics and MMTB in September 2022, recently bought out the companies from their former owner and outdoor giant QMS Media. Walton outlines his plans for the businesses and explains what the industry can expect from the companies moving forward.
Q: You recently bought out Omnigraphics and MMTB from QMS Media – can you tell us a bit more about this purchase?
David Walton (DW): QMS Media aquired both Omnigraphics and MMTB eight years ago and we have been working closely ever since. With QMS Media postioning itself as a market leader in the digital out-of-home media sector, the opportunity arose to acquire the print production arm of the business consisting of Omnigraphics Australia and MMTB.
I jumped at the chance given the vast upside and opportunity to grow both the Victorian and Queensland operations. Omnigraphics has been established for over 20 years in the industry, and MMTB for over 25 years, so both companies have a wealth of experience and highlytalented and passionate teams.
Combined, the businesses employ over 70 staff, with 25-plus machines across the two facilities. We have machines as small as 1.6m, right up to larger ones 5m in width. We offer roll-to-roll and flatbed printing and fabrication solutions in both states.
My assocation with the business spans over 15 years and fortunately, has covered all aspects of the company – consequently giving me a solid understanding of our business and the print industry as a whole.
Q: What do Omnigraphics and MMTB do today?
DW: Both businesses operate in the wideformat print sector offering a full suite of products in the large format Out-of-Home print space, billboard, street furniture and transit graphics, as well as delivering on quality and durability in our long-term signage options for building banners, hoardings and general signage needs.
The companies provide retail POS printing, event and expo signage, vehicle wrapping, installation, and project management services together with bespoke sigange options. With our print and fabrication equipment, we can offer a vast range of products as well as smalland large-run options whilst remaining
competitive and delivering fantastic lead times and quality. We also provide turnkey signage solutions and have a broad national footprint to help our clients in far reaching areas.
Q: What are some of the biggest growth areas for the businesses?
DW: Our most significant growth has been generated from ventures into additional wide-format markets, including retail, whilst expanding our offering with unique and creative applications to traditional print production.
Emerging markets include environmentally friendly and sustainable offerings, and entering the petroleum signage market where our turnkey sigange solutions are allowing us to build a presence in this sector.
We are also very nimble in both our businesses with key stakeholders involved every day in all aspects of the business. This has resulted in our ability to respondto market trends and the changing nature of our clients’ particular needs in a very agile way.
Q: What is fuelling the company’s upward momentum?
DW: The highly motivated and driven team within both companies is the critical element. On top of that, changes that have created opportunities and the ability to be agile with investment in technologies allow us to position the businesses for growth opportunities in the future.
Strong and enduring partnerships with our clients and a willingness to go above and beyond is another reason for our growth. We aim to deliver eye-catching results for our customer’s marketing campaigns and overcome challenges to meet our customers’ expectations.
Whilst delivering quality products and services to our customers, we also look for opportunities to get involved in our communities and give back to those who need support. We often donate signage for fundraising events, ensuring that proceeds are used for the cause and not promoting the events.
Our team takes part in food drives and I am looking forward to getting involved in the CEO Sleepout next year in an effort to raise money to assist homeless youth in Melbourne. All of these elements allow us to deliver a consistent message to our customers and ensure we position ourselves as a partner that brands can trust and rely on.
Our mantra is to do the common things uncommonly well and this fuels our momentum. Our clients look at us as a ‘set and forget’ partner and trust us implicitly.
Q: What plans do you have for the businesses in the coming six to 12 months?
DW: Investment in key equipment to improve quality, capacity and the ability to offer new products is going to be our focus. Increasing our presence in the market with active social media and digital marketing techniques to engage customers is another key area we will be focusing on.
In addition, we aim to increase our ability to give back to our communities and get involved in great causes to support those in need. We are also investing in cleaner and greener material options and processes to ensure the best future for the print industry and our environment. We have a philanthropic philosophy for being in business for more than just the commercial element.
Q: What are some of the most memorable and unique projects that Omnigraphics and MMTB have worked on?
DW: Some of the more memorable projects include changing the atompshere of whole precincts for significant events. We regularly provide the project management, print and install on the exciting Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour event. It is one of the most diverse projects that we work on, incorporating all types of signage into the activation.
More memorable projects come from rolling out entire stadiums of signage for the Firebirds netball team and the Brisbane Bullets basketball team.
Our recent expansion into the petroleum signage market was also exciting, as we managed to bring our customers’ brand vision to reality with bright colours and creative designs.
We work on copious amounts of memorable projects. Unfortunately, we are unable to share images of a lot of our projects. We work with unique processes including reflective films, glow in the dark films and UV blacklight active graphics on everything from small format stickers to super wide-format billboards. Recently, we collaborated on an exciting venture to create a memorable presence for a new product launch in Melbourne.
Q: What is your short- to medium-term vision for the future of both companies?
DW: My aim is to make the right investments in technology, ensuring we exceed quality expectations, reduce production timelines and deliver a diverse market offering, whilst striving to be creative and work on bringing customers’ creative visions to fruition. With the right technology, in conjunction with our teams’ eagerness, passion and skills to achieve out-of-the-box solutions, this will materialise.
Both Omnigraphics and MMTB will remain in their current formats, both servicing clients in their local areas while being able to assist each other in delivering national campaigns and customer orientated solutions.
Senior management will now be represented across both businesses, with myself (CEO) and Gerard Mudford (chief operating officer) located at Omnigraphics in Melbourne and Jarrod Whyte (national sales manager) and Lisa Crellin (chief financial officer) located at MMTB in Brisbane. This allows the group to collaborate at a national level whilst having key management in both locations, all with a wealth of knowledge in the large-format digital print industry.
Q: What is your assessment of business requirements in print for the rest of the year?
DW: We are looking forward to a positive second half of the year in print. While the digital era has transformed the marketing landscape, print materials still hold their ground in many industries and marketing campaigns.
We have seen increased demand and activity in the Out-of-Home sector and requests for billboards, street furniture posters and transit campaigns continue to arise for Q3 and even forward bookings into Q4.
Unique concepts and special build requests are increasing as well, as customers look to take their conceptual ideas to the next level. While the digital realm continues to evolve, print media remains a valuable tool for businesses and we aim to partner with customers who want to utilise traditional print through creative applications to enhance their marketing stratagies and deliver impact.
Q: From these business requirements, what will be the priorities for both companies?
DW: Omnigraphics and MMTB will continue to position themselves as market leaders in the large-format digital print market. We have innovative processes, leading technology and a passionate, enthusiastic team ready to deliver on customers’ projects and print requirements.
Our capacity in our two production facilities located in Melbourne and Brisbane allows us to provide unmatched speed to market whilst delivering cost effective solutions nationwide.
