PRINTNZ HELPING HAND: PRIDE IN PRINT

Print industry optimism lifts mood for businesses

As it breaks out of the pandemic’s shackles, printing embraces a positive outlook

Despite another evolving year of significant impacts, including the ongoing effects of the global pandemic and new, emerging factors, the New Zealand print sector ends 2022 expressing a general sense of positivity.

Ruth Cobb, chief executive PrintNZ, says the country, and indeed the world, breaking free from some of the more constrictive aspects of Covid-19 has provided a huge uplift in the mood of the general public as well as the business sector.

She says, “Even with the Delta variant then being followed by Omicron, the government gradually eased border restrictions in the earlier part of the year.

“By September the Covid-19 Protection Framework ‘traffic lights’ ended and most pandemic management rules were removed. No longer having to endure lockdowns and being able to move freely without the need to distance from others or even wear masks has improved all aspects of everyday life, flowing into business.

“Nonetheless, we face the ongoing challenge of staff shortages and now the new reality of rapidly-rising inflation.

Pride In Print Supreme Award Winners: Logick Print’s Dave and Jan Gick with Penny Savidan and Paula Vasquez from B&F Papers

“The global supply chain, upon which New Zealand’s economy is so dependent, remains in somewhat of a state of flux, exacerbated by such geopolitical events as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

Cobb makes the observation that the New Zealand print industry has also seen degrees of consolidation and in some sectors contraction over the course of the year. She says, “This again creates uncertainty in regard to both retaining work and staff.

“Such events reinforce the need for New Zealand printers to both maintain the highest standards and also continue to demonstrate the value that print delivers.

“However, despite the somewhat fluid landscape, our members largely seem to be confident and busy as we head into the Festive Season.”

A return to direct contact

The PrintNZ team and members alike fully embraced the opportunity to return to person-to-person contact.

Ruth says, “It has been great to once again visit our members in their workplaces and have the opportunity to re-engage with them in person and discuss the issues they are facing. This has been vital to ensuring that we continue to focus our work where it is required and to target the assistance we provide.”

As a prime example, she explains how the association worked closely with a member company to source and distribute 25,000 rapid antigen tests (RATs) to the industry in the first quarter of the year.

She says, “As the new variants of Covid-19 made their way onto our shores, contributing to significant business disruption due to illness and the need for isolation, the RATs were vital to streamlining workplaces and making sure staff still coming to work were safe to do so.”

Reasons for celebration

With pandemic-management restrictions easing “in the nick of time”, the return to in-person celebration of the industry’s best, both in products and people, received an enthusiastic welcome from industry members.

Notable winners this year included:

• BJ Ball Papers Print Industry Apprentice of the Year – Kosema Fuiono (Blue Star Collard)

• Trainer of the Year – Mandy Nilsson (Blue Star Constellation)

• Training Company of the Year – PSI Brands

• Pride In Print Supreme Award Winner – Logick Print

She says, “Judges were again spoiled for choice and all winners were outstanding examples of just what can be achieved if you focus on getting the job done with dedication and quality.

“The 2022 Pride In Print Awards evening, at which the PrintNZ Training Awards were also presented, proved a successful event at the brand new Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. An audience of 400 people saw 161 Gold Medals and 87 Highly Commendeds awarded.

Trainer of the Year Mandy Nilsson, from Blue Star Constellation

“The opportunity for the wider industry to attend these events and honour the amazing people and work that are our industry produces was a real highlight and a step back into that feeling of normality. These events always make me feel so proud to be a part of this industry.”

New initiatives

Following its unveiling last year, 2022 marked the first full year of the Printed In New Zealand campaign and logo.

“This initiative, which also served as the theme for this year’s Pride In Print Awards, was launched as part of a drive to keep production local and support New Zealand businesses.

“Aiming to further encourage our members to take great pride in the work they produce and to broadcast this fact to print buyers and consumers alike, the campaign is gaining traction and we look forward to it going from strength to strength.”

Regionalised logos, such as ‘Printed in Hawke’s Bay’, are now also being produced to further localise the message.

In another key initiative, Women in Print, returned after a three-year absence due to the pandemic. She says, “We hosted two events in the latter part of the year, one in Auckland and the other in Christchurch, and both sold out. They were fantastic evenings to network and celebrate.

Kosema Fuiono, from Blue Star Collard, BJ Ball Papers Print Industry Apprentice of the Year

“We had an incredible response from both our sponsors and attendees, and presenter Kerre Woodham was extremely entertaining.

“While this event remained solely the domain of women this year, we will be looking to run open events next year under the ‘People In Print’ banner to include even more of the industry.”

Lobbying

The government was noted to have passed or otherwise advanced legislation at a prolific rate this year. Ruth says, “This is something we have seen before in the middle year in an election cycle and it felt like we were in the midst of somewhat of a legislative landslide.

“As a great volume of this pending legislation will have direct impact on our members, we drew upon all resources in an extensive campaign of research, discussion and presentation to effectively lobby our industry’s positions.

“PrintNZ also collaborates with a number of other groups to ensure that a broad perspective is taken and that our submissions contain the views of the wider industry.”

This year’s list of passed legislation with direct relevance to the print industry included:

• Holidays (Bereavement Leave for Miscarriage) Amendment

• Holidays (Increasing Sick Leave) Amendment

• Matariki Act

• Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistle blowers) Act 2022

• Incorporated Societies Act 2022

• Fair Trading Amendment Act 2021

• Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day

• Fair Pay Agreements

Additionally, the following items are presently undergoing consultation and will potentially result in new legislation in 2023:

• Advanced Manufacturing Industry Transformation Plan

• Emissions Reduction Plan

• Transforming Recycling

• Skilled Migrant Category

• Holidays Act

• Contract Workers

• Skill Standards

• National Careers Strategy

• Modern Slavery and Worker Exploitation

• New Zealand Income Insurance Scheme

• New Zealand Freight and Supply Chain Issues

• WorkSafe – pending new regulations around plant, mobile plant, design, manufacture, supply, import and installation of plant or structures, high risk plant, working at heights and scaffolding, excavation work and upstream businesses

Member communications

Complementing the return of site visits, PrintNZ continued its other regular channels of communications with members. This included the monthly ‘Helping Hand’ articles in New Zealand Printer Magazine, articles in other trade magazines, E-notices and a plethora of posts on social media.

Ruth says, “We continue to communicate with our members across as many platforms as possible to ensure that we are able to reach everyone.

From left: Linden Horverd, PrintNZ membership co-ordinator; Niue Vaimoli, PSI Brand apprentice; Jim Crawshaw general manager PSI BrandTraining Company of the Year – PSI Brands

“In addition, we remain committed to the Value of Paper and Print, Two Sides and Love Paper campaigns to provide collateral for members to use to promote the effectiveness and sustainability of print.”

Goodbye 2022, welcome 2023

Cobb emphasises that the PrintNZ team has again enjoyed working with members for the betterment of both their businesses and the sector overall during 2022.

She says, “It is a pleasure to be welcomed inside our member company teams and we thank them for their ongoing support of our work. We remain committed to adapting to whatever comes our way and providing our members with the best possible service and support.”

The resilience that the industry continually demonstrates forever impresses her and the PrintNZ team. She adds, “The resourcefulness our members demonstrate in navigating the complex challenges they continuously encounter, to not only just keep going but to adapt and reinvent to positively succeed, is always inspirational.”