ProPrint December 2020 by The Intermedia Group

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Congratulations to all the 2020 Power 50 winners from ProPrint and our generous sponsors. Thursday May 14

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EDITOR’S LETTER SHEREE YOUNG

Phew! We made it through When I wrote my Editor’s Letter for the 2019 Power 50 edition of ProPrint, the carnage that was about to be unleashed by a global pandemic was not even thought of. But here we are, at the end of 2020 carrying some battle scars, but largely in one piece. The pain hit early for printers but as Christmas beckons it feels as though life may be getting back to some kind of normal. At one point it was unknown if we could hold an event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Power 50, but the stars aligned and we so happy to be able to do so. To celebrate the Power 50’s milestone we have featured each member of the top 10 from the last 10 years on the cover. We hope you enjoy this stroll down memory lane as you recognise past and

present leaders of this great industry. The Power 50 is a truly peer-voted award and was decided by all 100 nominees, who each had the chance to vote. As is our practice, the votes are checked by our auditing partner, PKF Australia, to confirm who made the cut. The Emerging 50, now in its second year, has drawn a diverse and vibrant group of nominees. This year each nominee had the opportunity to apply for a mentorship programme delivered in partnership with The Real Media Collective. All Emerging 50 nominees are listed alphabetically on the flipside of this magazine with the mentorship prize winner featured in a special report on page 14. Thirty-two of the 50 nominees submitted

CONTENTS

EMERGING 50 (FLIPSIDE) 4 A word from the Emerging 50 Foundation Partner

4-12 Update A round-up of all the major news from the non-stop world of print

Susan Heaney, chair of industry superannuation fund Media Super, discusses why recognisig the rising stars of the printing industry has is so important

14-15 Debrief Recap of all the major developments published on sprinter.com.au

16 Comment: Northwood Latest data from Roy Morgan Research shows print is continuing to reign supreme despite a COVID-induced rise in digital

18 Comment: Romano Frank Romano looks back in time and learns his students weren't far off the mark with how they thought 2020 would look back in 1999

POWER 50 24 A word from the Power 50 Gold Sponsor Konica Minolta Australia's Sue Threlfo reaffirms the company's commitment to the industry as the Power 50 turns 10

high-quality applications for this prize making it a tough job for industry members who volunteered their time to be judges. I offer a special thanks to them for giving this judging process the time and diligence it deserves. The Power 50 and Emerging 50 would not be possible without our generous sponsors and supporters. Konica Minolta has sponsored the Power 50 since day one and are again the gold sponsor with HP silver sponsor and printIQ the bronze sponsor. The Emerging 50 has been made possible due to foundation partner, Media Super, and sponsorship support from Cactus Imaging, Pozitive, Starleaton and Visual Connections. Enjoy the read and enjoy your break. See you all in 2021. Go well and stay safe.

26 The 10th annniversary 2020 Power 50 unveiled

6 The 2020 Emerging 50 unveiled

Read about the who's who of the Australian printing industry in this 100 per cent peervoted list of leaders and innovators

Read more about the diverse and fascinating group of printing industry rising stars that have been recognised in this year's Emerging 50

38 Gearing up for next era in digital?

14 The 2020 Emerging 50 Mentorship Prize winner revealed

HP Indigo's Craig Walmsley looks at how digital printing's share of the commercial pie is only set to grow

A strong group of nominees applied for the 12-month mentorship prize making judging a difficult task. Learn about who won the inaugural award

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS 44-46 Digital printing Technology writer Peter Kohn explains why digital printing is no longer printing's support act, but arguably the main attraction

15 COVID-19 and beyond Emerging 50 supporter Starleaton CEO Ben Eaton reflects on the year that was and looks at how the industry can be strengthened for the future

Editor Sheree Young (02) 8586 6131, SYoung@intermedia.com.au National Sales Manager Carmen Ciappara 0410 582 450, carmen@proprint.com.au Design and Production Manager Carrie Tong carrie@i-grafix.com Managing Director James Wells james@intermedia.com.au Subscriptions (02) 9660 2113 subscriptions@intermedia.com.au Printed by Hero Print, Alexandria, NSW, 2015. Mailed by D&D Mailing Services, Wetherill Park, NSW, 2164. ProPrint is published bi-monthly by Printer Media Group, registered in Australia ABN 47 628 473 334. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in part without the written permission of the publishers. While every care has been taken in the preparation of this magazine, it is a condition of distribution that the publisher does not assume any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage which may result from any inaccuracy or omission in the publication. www.proprint.com.au

December 2020 ProPrint 3

UPDATE

Beehive Industries taps print to help those in need by Sheree Young

Beehive Industries, a Sydney-based social enterprise which operates a commercial printing, fulfilment and mail-house business to fund the support of over 200 socially isolated senior citizens has been boosted by the installation of a Konica Minolta AccurioPress C3080. The new press has already been put to good use producing a new cookbook ‘Share a Meal, Share a Conversation’ that not only provides easy recipes, but also gives readers step-by-step intructions on how to connect with video calls to stay connected during COVID-19. The enterprise has operated in Darlinghurst for nearly 50 years and now with its beefed up print capabilities is open to working with printers that may be interested in partnering with the not-for-profit, which is also registered with the NDIS. Beehive Industries CEO Brendan Lonergan says around 225 people – many with disabilities including mental illness – are supported by the operation with many helping pack jobs and fulfil mail-order campaigns. In return they benefit from social interaction, regular meals, day trips on Sydney Harbour, playing Bingo and doing craft activities with each other. “We only get funded for about 14 per cent of the folks we look after so we need to find 86 per cent of the funding through our commercial business which does packaging, commercial printing and mail house services,” Lonergan told ProPrint. Beehive already supplies print and mailorder for large organisations including Telstra, the NRMA, Racing NSW, Legacy and NSW government departments including the Department of Primary Industries and Environment. But it has been slammed by COVID with the facility having to close its doors for 11 weeks while also losing $200,000 in government funding. Now, Lonergan is looking to gain some extra work to keep his team busy and engaged.

Working for good: (L-R) Konica Minolta’s Sue Threlfo; Beehive Industries’ Brendan Lonergan with Meredith Roach, Dr David Cooke and Anastasia Konstantelos all from of Konica Minolta

“The print work we do also includes assembling material and mailing it out for customers,” Lonergan said. “We like to keep the people we support actively engaged as the bulk of them are seniors living alone in housing commission, boarding houses and homeless shelters.” Beehive Industries also has large amounts of space for mail order campaigns and kitting work. This can be attractive for printers that want to offer a full-service solution, but lack the physical space or staff to ensure the job can be done. Lonergan said investing in the new Accurio has moved the business into a new league. “Having the AccurioPress C3080 has gotten us into a new class of work because the print quality is fantastic,” he said. It was this investment that meant it could produce the new cook book with Sydney’s Twin Loop Binding assisting with the binding.

The book was recently launched with the team from Konica Minolta, including outgoing managing director Dr David Cooke and production and industrial print general manager Sue Threlfo, in attendance. “We are proud to be associated with their commercial printing program which offers both an excellent printing, assembly and fulfilment process, and also an opportunity for their members to learn the skill of digital printing,” Threlfo told ProPrint. “The Share a Meal, Share a Conversation book is a great example of an excellent digital print job, and also a great story about bringing people together.” Lonergan says partnering with Beehive Industries gives printers increased opportunity to secure government contracts as many tenders now require suppliers to prove how they are generating a positive social impact with the work they do.

Yohei Konaka takes over as MD at Konica Minolta Yohei Konaka has now taken over the reins as managing director at Konica Minolta Australia after COVID-19 forced a delay to the start of his official appointment. Yohei replaces outgoing managing director, Dr David Cooke, who announced his resignation in February this year. Yohei was due to start in April but pandemicrelated travel restrictions meant he was unable to fly out from Japan. For the last six months, Yohei has been working remotely with Dr Cooke and the executive team at Konica Minolta Australia. He has used this time to gain a more complete understanding of the Australian market. Konica Minolta said this experience has given Yohei a “valuable head start as he sets 4 ProPrint December 2020

Konica Minolta Australia managing director Yohei Konaka

about creating a vision for the company for the next 12 months and beyond”. In his 20 years with Konica Minolta, Yohei has held various sales and strategic planning

roles in the USA and Canada. Most recently, he held a senior role in the digital workplace business at Konica Minolta Inc. in Japan, working on the development of key initiatives to contribute to the company’s digital transformation strategy. “I look forward to taking on this role and continuing to drive the legacy that Dr David Cooke has left, as well as looking at ways to drive Konica Minolta Australia into the future,” Yohei said. “There is no doubt that the global pandemic has resulted in a challenging and changing business environment, and it is important for Konica Minolta Australia, and its customers, to consider the way forward from here to ensure success.” www.sprinter.com.au

UPDATE PRINT BY NUMBERS

Epson shows off new presses in Sydney launch 4

The number of luxury Cartier watches that ended up causing the resignation of Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate p10

by Sheree Young

Epson has pushed further into the wide-format and textile sectors with a range of new presses launched at the company’s new demonstration and distribution centre in Sydney’s Yennora. A highlight was Epson’s firstever UV flatbed printer, the SureColor V7000, and the SureColor R5000 large-format range which uses durable waterbased UltraChrome resin inks. Epson president Yasunori Ogawa spoke via videolink from Japa n a nd reiterated that Australia and New Zealand remain important to Epson as it zeroes in on textile, large-format and label printing technologies. “They are advanced and sophisticated which makes Australia and New Zealand ideal for helping us understand what customers want from our products,” he said. Epson Australia managing director Craig Heckenberg said textiles remains a key market. He said in the second quarter of 2020, Epson had 46 per cent

1928 The Epson team and supply partners gather at the Japanese-themed launch event at the company’s new demonstration centre in Sydney’s Yennora

of the market in DTG and 83 per cent of dye-sublimation. “Textile is a key market for Epson and this shows that when Epson sets its sights on a market, it succeeds by listening to customer demands,” Heckenberg said at the launch. The SureColor R5000 Series, which uses odourless resin inks, is designed for applications both indoor and outdoor including schools, hospitals and hotels. Also launched was Epson’s

first-ever industrial direct-togarment printer, the SureColor F3000, which is designed for the mid-to-large garment printer. In the dye-sublimation space, the 76-inch SureColor F10060 was unveiled with applications for high volume producers in the soft signage, fashion, sportswear and home décor space. It comes with four of Epson’s latest 4.7-inch PrecisionCore Micro TFP print heads that each incorporate four print elements.

drupa’s digital preview draws 1900 by Sheree Young

An online preview of printing a nd packaging megashow, drupa, has been held with Messe Düsseldorf organisers confirming it attracted 1900 visitors. The event featured presentations from exhibiting companies including Leonhard Kurz, manroland Goss web systems and Global Graphics. There was also a textiles panel discussion with six technology experts. Sabine Geldermann, Messe Düsseldorf’s Project Director Print Technologies, and Dr Markus Heering, Managing Director of the German Printing a n d P a p e r Te c h n o l o g y Association (VDMA), launched the digital preview. “The response from exhibitors and visitors following the first preview was very positive,” Geldermann said. “The drupa preview offers a www.sprinter.com.au

The year Clark & Mackay was founded in Brisbane by Bert Clark and John Mackay p12

5 The number of years IVE will supply print and distribution services for Australian Community Media p12

10 The number of years Konica Minolta has sponsored the ProPrint Power 50 p24

33 The first drupa preview attracted 1900 online visitors

valuable basis for regular customer contacts, enabling ongoing interaction within our community during this global pandemic. “Its digital format helps enhance our customer communications, focusing on the industry’s future topics. It is our goal to create a hybrid concept, perfectly combining the best of both worlds in order to ensure the April event can take place under

optimal conditions.” Geldermann said the difficulties created by COVID-10 are why events, like drupa and the drupa digital preview are important as they provide a space for latest technologies to be shown to customers, so they can better understand what is on offer. All speeches and video presentation from the digital preview are available to watch on demand at preview.drupa.com.

The years Nekkorb has been supporting the Australian and New Zealand printing industries p22

24.1m The daily audience reach of letterbox print marketing in Australia, according to Roy Morgan Research p16 December 2020 ProPrint 5

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UPDATE

John Buitenkamp moves up the ranks at Starleaton By Hafizah Osman

Former Starleaton product manager John Buitenkamp has moved up the ranks within the company, taking on a new role as Group Sales and Marketing Director. Starleaton CEO Ben Eaton said the promotion of Buitenkamp comes as the business puts in place its strategy for the coming year. “We had an opening for a national sales manager role for the past 18 months following on from the business revamp and related changes that happened due to several acquisitions. Then with the arrival of COVID-19, we had to hold off on plans to fill the role,” he said. “As we approach 2021, it is key we get back to delivering on the strategies we had put in place last year, for which this was a key role. John’s demonstrated great leadership through the challenges of 2020. I have also worked with him for over 20 years in various capacities and I felt that he was a natural fit.” His responsibilities as the newly appointed Group Sales and Marketing Director include expanding the customer experience at Starleaton and working with Eaton and the rest of the team on delivery of several strategic projects. The business’ marketing team and state Sales Managers across A/NZ will report to Buitenkamp. Eaton said Buitenkamp brings to the table a wealth of experience both locally and from his years in Europe and will be leading some “exciting new initiatives” within the business. Prior to his 4.5-year tenure at Starleaton as

Promoted: John Buitenkamp has stepped into the newly created role of Group Sales and Marketing Director

Product Manager, Buitenkamp served at the renowned international company for modern self-adhesive media and coating solutions, Neschen Coating, for almost 18 years, in a variety of roles. He was most recently Neschen’s International Sales Manager for almost five years. Buitenkamp also worked at Seal Graphics Europe for more than four years. “John worked for Neschen and a couple of other brands that we represent and brings to the table a wealth of international experience, in addition to fantastic relationships and con-

nections within the industry,” Eaton said. “Part of our 2020/21 strategy is talent acquisition – which was the case of our key appointment of Dale Hawkins, for example. We want people who can bring their skills and learnings into the Starleaton fold.” Buitenkamp said having supported a variety of local and international customers in his tenure, he will now be able to pass on the learnings from his previous successes. “I have strong relationships with our suppliers in the industry and I have plenty of contacts across Europe. Europe generally leads the way with many current trends, for example textile development, and as the trends emerge in Australia, I want to help Starleaton expand into new areas,” he said. Buitenkamp is aiming to help Starleaton streamline its product portfolio, build on its sales capabilities, and provide the industry with much-needed support and service. “We recently announced our partnership with 3M. I intend to focus on the strong brands that we have and ensure the benefits of these solutions are realised in the broader market. 2020 was an incredibly challenging year for print due to COVID-19, therefore I intend to help rebuild confidence in the market going into 2021. “Focusing on service and the customer experience is a huge part of the Starleaton business as well. I look forward to getting in front of customers again and talking to them about their pain points and how we can guide them in achieving success.”

Durst launches COVID-busting air purifier by Sheree Young

Durst is well known for its advanced printing and ink technologies and now it has developed a range of air disinfection systems that it says irradiates infectious aerosols, viruses, and germs from indoor environments. The UVC-R Air Disinfection System can also be personalised, thanks to Durst’s printing technologies, in such a way that the units look like works of art and seamlessly blend in to any number of environments from banks, school class rooms, museums and office buildings. The technology operates by sucking air from within rooms into an antiviral membrane where it is cleansed with irradiated UV-C light before the disinfected air is then released back into the room through an air outlet. The devices also are whisper quiet creating a typical noise level of 25 dB (A). Durst Oceania managing director Matt Ashman said the new air purifying device is set to be a game-changer and will be available in Australia and New Zealand in early 2021. Durst co-owner and CEO Christoph Gamper launched the new range in an online presentation and said the technology builds on the company’s community masks that it began to 8 ProPrint December 2020

A beautiful way to clean air has been invented by Durst

produce in April when the scale of COVID-19 was fully realised. “We checked the efficiency of the UV-C sources in our laboratories and analysed the ideal exposure time and volumetric flow,” Gamper said. “An external laboratory for medical technology and disinfectants in Germany is currently in the process of verifying our results. At the same time, the efficiency of the Durst UVC-R is tested in real mode with “pseudo viruses” or socalled bacteriophages.” To create this technology, Durst Labs studied the main transmission paths and descent rates

of droplets and aerosols that transport viruscontaining liquid particles. The effectiveness of countermeasures with continuous air exchange and UV irradiation were also measured. The result was the Durst UVC-R system which combines air exchange and UV irradiation in one system which effectively reduces infectious aerosols, viruses and germs in indoor environments. The disinfection zone measures 4 by 4 by 2.5 metres. But Durst says no specific statement about square metres or volume size can be given as a general answer in terms of efficiency, as the efficiency depends on many factors including temperature, air flows in the room, ceiling height and numbers of people in a space. “We see in Durst UVC-R not only a preventive measure to reduce the viral loads,” Gamper said. “Together with the South Tyrolean industrial designer Christian Zanzotti we have developed a portfolio, that can harmoniously be integrated into many interior concepts.” The units are now available for pre-order on www.durst-group.com/uvcr. www.sprinter.com.au

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UPDATE

Fuji Xerox to fight ACCC action by Sheree Young

Fuji Xerox Australia is gearing up to defend itself against action launched by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) which claims nine of the manufacturer’s standard small business contracts contain 173 unfair contract terms. The ACCC recently launched the action in the Federal Court alleging 31 different contract terms are unfair, including automatic renewal terms, excessive exit fees and unilateral price increases. Fuji Xerox Australia said it was disappointed by the action and it will be defending itself against the claims. “Fuji Xerox Australia Pty Limited (FXA) notes the ACCC’s announcement that it has commenced legal proceedings alleging certain FXA contracts contain unfair contract terms under the Australian Consumer Law,” a statement from Fuji Xerox Australia said. “FXA had been cooperating with the ACCC’s investigation and had proposed several contract changes to seek to address the ACCC’s concerns. “In that context, FXA is disappointed that the ACCC has decided to commence proceedings, which FXA intends to defend. “FXA is sending correspondence to all its customers about how this impacts them and next steps.” The ACCC says the terms have been used in contracts between Fuji Xerox Australia and its small business customers for the supply of printing goods and services and technical assistance since at least October 2018. “We have received a number of complaints

Fuji Xerox Australia says it has been working with the ACCC and will be defending itself against the claims

from small businesses alleging that some of the terms in Fuji’s contracts have caused them significant financial harm,” ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh said. “Some of the unilateral variation terms allow Fuji to modify contracts by creating new rights and obligations, including increasing prices, without notifying its customers and without giving them any corresponding right to negotiate or reject. “The ACCC will argue that the unfair terms in these contracts cause a significant imbalance in the rights and obligations of Fuji and the small businesses they contract with. “This court action by the ACCC should prompt all other traders in the printing support industry to review their standard form contracts and make any necessary changes to remove unfair contract terms.” The ACCC is seeking declarations that the terms in the existing contracts between Fuji Xerox Australia and its small business customers are unfair and therefore void. It is also seeking an injunction to prevent the

company from relying on these terms in its current contracts or entering into future contracts that contain those terms. The ACCC is also seeking an order for a corrective notice, a compliance program and costs. The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell welcomed the probe into the contract terms of Fuji Xerox Australia. Carnell said her office had received complaints from small business customers about Fuji Xerox, as well as in relation to other industry suppliers. “My office has received a number of complaints from small businesses customers of Fuji Xerox and other companies in the printing industry more broadly,” Carnell said. “The ACCC is currently not able to determine if a clause amounts to an unfair contract term. “Instead, the regulator needs to seek a determination from the court. “My office continues to recommend enhanced capabilities of regulators to determine if terms are unfair and for significant penalties and infringement notices to apply to breaches.” Carnell said she maintains that unfair contract terms need to be illegal and that the penalties need to be large enough to act as an effective deterrent. “By making unfair contract terms illegal, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) would be able to penalise big businesses,” she said. “Small businesses have been waiting for changes to level the playing field for too long.”

Aust Post CEO out after watch affair by Sheree Young

Australia Post chief executive officer Christine Holgate has resigned after she was stood aside while an investigation was carried out into the purchase of four luxury Cartier watches as performance rewards for senior management. In a statement announcing her decision to resign, Holgate said it was with great sadness she had opted to resign after three years in the role, adding she would not be seeking any financial compensation. “I firmly believe the ‘ship’ needs a strong captain at the helm to help navigate through this time. The current issue I am managing is a significant distraction and I do not believe it is good for either Australia Post or my own personal wellbeing,” Holgate said. “Consequently, I have made the difficult decision to resign, hoping it will allow the organisation to fully focus on serving our customers.” Holgate was stood aside from her role after it emerged in a Senate Estimates hearing that Australia Post had spent $20,000 buying four 10 ProPrint December 2020

Gone: Christine Holgate is no longer the CEO of Australia Post after a scandal erupted over luxury watches

Cartier watches as performance gifts for four members of the senior management team. The discovery about the watches was met with disgust by many in the printing industry and which further exacerbated the industry’s ill-feeling towards Australia Post. The industry has suffered due to Australia Post’s strategy to focus on parcels while reducing mail deliveries during COVID-19. Increased postage costs have also put further

pressure on the print sector as this is often used as a reason for customers to opt for a digital campaign, instead of a physical one. In her resignation speech, Holgate pointed to the dramatic rise in parcel delivery revenue in the first quarter of 2020, adding this has helped make up for the $242 million that has been lost in the letters’ category. “Our recent financial results delivered a record revenue of $7.5bn, up $500m or 7 per cent and our profits before tax rose 30 per cent to $56.6m for the year. This was our highest ever revenue growth in a year without acquiring a major asset,” Holgate said. “Our strong parcel, services and international cross-border ecommerce businesses, all helped compensate for having 400 million fewer letters, covered $242m in letter losses.” This comes after federal Communications Minister, Paul Fletcher, told the 2020 Print2Parliament the postal service is ready and willing to listen to innovative ideas printers may have about how to increase letter volumes and thereby push up print demand. www.sprinter.com.au

UPDATE

IVE buys and sells in COVID year by Sheree Young

IVE Group, one of Australia’s largest diversified marketing, printing and distribution companies, has sold its telefundraising business to a private equity firm for $16.5 million and signed a five-year $100 million deal to supply print and distribution services for Australian Community Media (ACM). The mutually-beneficial deal with ACM allows the publisher to focus on brand content development and explore entry into new markets, with IVE to look after the printing and distribution side. It also gives IVE its first entry into Western Australia, with the arrangement including the purchase of ACM’s Mandurah print site. The announcement comes after a rocky year for the printing and publishing sectors with COVID-19 lockdowns hitting revenues. News Corp sent shockwaves through the print sector when it announced hundreds of regional, suburban and community newspapers would become digital-only. Consolidation of print sites has continued this year with ACM closing its sites in Canberra, Murray Bridge and Ballarat in Victoria. It also signed a deal with News Corp Australia and Nine Entertainment Group to share print facilities. IVE Group CEO Matt Aitken said the company is proud to be able to support ACM.

Done deal: ACM’s Antony Catalano (L) and IVE’s Matt Aitken (R) have signed a five-year mutually beneficial deal

“With over 170 publications nationwide we are proud to support ACM’s media brands in connecting with millions of Australians every day,” Aitken said. “We are excited by ACM’s growth plans and believe IVE’s diverse product and service offering is key to ACM unlocking further strategic value in their business.” ACM executive chairman Antony Catalano said: “We are delighted to partner with IVE which has a long and successful history of delivering on complex production and distribution challenges. “ACM is evolving as a business and we’re looking for ways to streamline our operations

to allow us to focus on what we do best; creating and delivering great content.” Merchant Place Investments managing director Tom Mould said consistent cash flow was one of the key decision drivers to buy IVE’s telefundraising arm which conducts over one million calls a year for its charity clients. IVE Telefundraising CEO Keith Elliott said the business had gone from strength to strength under IVE’s ownership over the last five years. “My team and I very much look forward to working with Merchant Place to continue to drive growth and expand from what is today a very solid business with a leading market position.”

Clark & Mackay sold to independent book publisher By Hafizah Osman

Fourth-generation family-owned Brisbane print operation, Clark & Mackay, has been sold to Queensland independent book publisher, Ocean Reeve Publishing. Clark & Mackay is well-known and respected due to its 92-year heritage of providing print services across the country. It was formed in 1928 by Bert Clark and John Mackay and has been led by a family member ever since. The business has now been purchased by Ocean Reeve Publishing, a Brisbane and Gold Coast-based company that specialises in publishing the works of independent authors. It also produces audiobooks and works with authors from Singapore, the United States and India on manuscript development. Clark & Mackay owner Neil Mackay has now retired, but will consult with Ocean Reeve as and when required about the business. Mackay told ProPrint the Clark & Mackay name will remain with no changes to staffing. “Both parties are happy with the outcome, so we did it,” Mackay said. “There will be no changes to the way Clark & Mackay operates, and that was one of the reasons why I was happy with the sale. “The loyalty and service that my clients and suppliers have provided me with has been exceptional. I’ve had clients that have done 12 ProPrint December 2020

(L:R) Ocean Reeve Publishing managing director Ocean Reeve and the now retired Clark & Mackay owner Neil Mackay

business with me for 40 years, so I have a lot of associations built up and they’ve been very important to me. “They’re not happy with me retiring, but this is the best move for the business.” Mackay said he had never thought about selling up until 2019. “I had to retire sometime, even though I wasn’t looking to do it now. But after working as the central Australian printer for Ocean Reeve Publishing and getting to know their work ethic and integrity, it was actually an easy decision,” Mackay said. “I knew the way we have looked after our

community and customers for the last 92 years would continue under their leadership”. Ocean Reeve Publishing managing director Ocean Reeve told ProPrint he wanted to bring the print function of his business in-house so he could take advantage of new technology. “Neil was not going to look down the direction of inkjet printing or wide format, so it made practical sense for us to incorporate our growth that we’ve had as an independent publishing house with print,” Reeve said. Ocean Reeve Publishing has now moved to the same premises as Clark & Mackay in Brisbane’s Acacia Ridge. www.sprinter.com.au

750S

Combining the perfect blend of traditional and digital

The Fujifilm Jet Press 750S B2 digital inkjet press blends all of the good qualities of offset, such as durability and reliability, while incorporating the advanced technologies and benefits of digital inkjet technology to achieve a quality level that out-performs offset. The Jet Press 750S is the product of Fujifilm’s decades of experience and expertise in world-class print and inkjet systems. It combines the absolute best of both worlds of offset and digital printing.

Jet Press 750S at a glance •

Built on an offset chassis

•

Zero make readies

•

3,600 B2 sheets per hour

•

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Contact Fujifilm or Fuji Xerox to find out more about what makes this such a unique and extraordinary machine. Talk with one of our print experts about how it could solve some of the challenges you face in today’s market and drive your business forward. Fujifilm: www.fujifilm.com.au

Xerox, Xerox and Design, as well as Fuji Xerox and Design are registered trademarks or trademarks of Xerox Corporation in Japan and/or other countries

UPDATE OCTOBER - NOVEMBER TIMELINE

Debrief Recapping the major developments since your last issue. Stories are breaking every day at www.sprinter.com.au

October issue October 2020

People Technology Business

www.sprinter.com.au October 2020

13 october

8 october NEW DATE FOR HEIMTEXTIL SHOW The Heimtextil tradeshow which was to be held at Messe Frankfurt in January 2021 has been postponed to May 4-7 2021 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. This important tradeshow covers the latest in interior textiles and design trends. It is being run in conjunction with Techtextil, an international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens, and Texprocess, which focuses on textile processing and flexible materials. Messe Frankfurt executive board member, Detlef Braun, said the industry has strongly indicated it wants the show to go on but at a later date to ensure strong attendance. “Many companies are hoping to give their businesses a boost by taking part in the fair following the restart,” he said. “We consider it a greater obligation than ever before that we play our part in this.”

AGFA EXPANDS LARGE FORMAT RANGE Agfa has unveiled a new addition to its Jeti Tauro large-format inkjet family with the H3300 S LED recently unveiled. The new press extends Agfa’s high-end Jeti Tauro range with an upgradable model. Agfa says the latest Jeti Tauro press is a favourably priced entry model that will enable a wider range of printing companies to benefit from one of Agfa’s flagship large-format printers. Agfa introduced the Jeti Tauro H3300 in 2018, with the heavy duty hybrid printer combining image quality, productivity and low ink consumption to deliver rigid and flexible prints of up to 3.3m wide at speeds up to 453 m² per hour. The original version is available in four-colour and six-colour, while the latest S version offers a sixcolour option only. Agfa product manager of sign and display, Reinhilde Alaert, said the new press offers an attractive growth path for sign and display printing companies.

10 october

Trade winds of change

Family ties that bind

Allain Pool’s zest for life

COVID-19 has hit many hard but trade printers see bright horizons

Brother and sister duo use 20-20 vision to fill a void for NSW printers

Press Print director on why family, food & wine are what matters most

ProPrint Hero Cover Sep 2020 1

24/9/20 9:05 am

News happens every day at

sprinter.com.au

GRAPHIC ART MART EXPANDS WITH TWO NEW HIRES FROM INDUSTRY Graphic Art Mart has expanded its NSW and Victorian teams with the addition of two new managers - Michael Culver and Matt Christie. Culver (L) has spent the last nine years with Agfa and is now an account manager at Graphic Art Mart’s office in North Rocks, NSW. “For the past 28 years, Michael has worked within the print and sign industry in the UK and Australia. During that time, he has had the pleasure of selling world leading inkjet technology namely Fujifilm, Agfa, HP and Roland, together with promoting substrates from well-known media brands including Perspex, Plexiglas, Lexan, Mactac and Euromedia,” Graphic Art Mart said. Christie (R) has joined Graphic Art Mart’s Mount Waverley office in Melbourne as business development manager. “Matt has been in the signage/graphics industry for over 10 years, with five years at Spicers and before that five years at Mulford Plastics. He is always striving to construct the perfect approach that will create a win-win for clients and business partners,” the company said.

26 october ILAN ELAD TO HEAD UP KORNIT DIGITAL IN APAC Toykyo-based Ilan Elad is heading up Kornit Digital’s operations in the Asia Pacific as the business looks to expand in the region. Elad joins the business from Daimler Trucks Asia, where he has worked since 2013, most recently as vice-president of sales in Africa, SAARC, Oceania. Kornit Digital says Elad was chosen for the role due to his experience in Asia and Oceania in the past 12 years which has given him vast market insights and leadership instincts that will serve Kornit Digital well.

20 october RICOH LAUNCHES NEW DTG PRINTER Ricoh has unveiled a new directto-garment (DTG) printer which it describes as being an easy-to-use solution for operators looking to offer promotional and personalised printed goods, including garments, tote bags, canvas shoes, baseball caps and long sleeve shirts. The Ri 2000 DTG press prints at 1200 by 1200 dpi and can also be used in the production of textile face masks and safety vests due to the flexibility of its magnetic platen mechanism and automatic table height adjustment that can easily switch between garment types. “The new generation of DTG printer represents Ricoh’s continued commitment to deliver industry leading inkjet solutions, empowering our customers to grow their business,” Ricoh Europe director of industrial printing Graham Kennedy said. “Working closely with early adopters in the continuously growing DTG market during product development, Ricoh customers can now enjoy the benefits of a DTG turnkey solution. “The Ri 2000 meets the needs of innovative digital print providers, custom apparel online retailers, as well as traditional businesses offering added value by printing on garments.” www.sprinter.com.au

UPDATE 10 november

3 november 5 november

AUSPACK POSTPONED, RELOCATES AUSPACK 2021, a key trade event in Australia for the packaging and processing machinery industries, has been postponed from May 2020 to May 17-20 2021 and will now be held in Melbourne, not Sydney as originally planned. Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association Chairman, Mark Dingley, said continued uncertainty due to COVID-19 meant rescheduling the show was the best course of action given its scale and significance and importance for exhibitors and visitors alike. “This exhibition is known for the depth of products and services on the show floor, and the unique networking opportunities available from the many events held around the show,” he said.

VIVAD MEETS FIRE SAFETY RULES Testing has shown Vivad’s long-term frontlit and backlit banner vinyls met the Group 1 classification needs of the Australian Building Codes Board. Vivad managing director Ewen Donaldson says many signage operators are feeling understandably perplexed as they comprehend regulations for the application of banners or light boxes to buildings. “There has been a lot of commotion caused by flammable aluminium cladding,” Donaldson said. “This has resulted in a number of changes to the regulations which affect where and how signs or light boxes can be installed.” Signage must have a group 1 or 2 classification, not extend beyond one storey or beyond a single fire compartment and be separated from other combustible signs by two vertical storeys.

5 november

8 november

AURORA LABS PARTNERS WITH HP Aurora Labs is involved in a joint investigation with HP to learn if HP’s software is able to generate 3D print files that are compatible with Aurora Labs’ metal 3D printers. As part of the arrangement, Aurora Labs will examine HP’s Universal Build Manager, which leverages HP’s software and data innovation, and the HP Dyndrite Accelerated Geometry Engine, to enable simplified and automated build preparation across multiple technologies. HP general manager and global head of printing and digital manufacturing, Ramon Pastor, said: “Automation, software, and data are key to delivering mass customisation of parts and unlocking the full potential of large-scale additive manufacturing. “We are committed to relentlessly improving our capabilities and helping customers optimise and automate workflows, enable compelling new applications, and produce sustainable, high quality parts at scale.” Aurora Labs says it recognises the potential value in combining HP’s Universal Bid Manager with its Rapid Manufacturing Technology to optimise print speeds and assess compatibility with its RMP-1 printer software.

FUJI XEROX UPGRADES VERSANT Fuji Xerox Australia has given its popular Versant Print Production Series an upgrade enabling it to be faster, smarter, and have more flexible printing capabilities. The Versant 3100i Press and Versant 180i Press models are the successors to the Versant 3100 Press and Versant 180 Press Production Series respectively. New features across both presses include flexibility and automation which aim to deliver optimised productivity for businesses looking to build on their print capabilities. The Versant 3100i Press was designed to streamline high-volume print workloads and boost productivity, while the Versant 180i Press showcases high-performance flexible printing with enhanced scan and copy capabilities. Fuji Xerox Australia head of graphic communications marketing Bruce Murphy said combined with other adjustment attributes, the operations of the upgraded presses can be reduced to minimise operator intervention.

2 november SPICERS ADDS ROJO PACIFIC Spicers has expanded into the wideformat space with the acquisition of Melbourne-based large format materials and textile supplier, Rojo Pacific. While Rojo Pacific now comes under the Spicers brand, the business will continue to operate individually with Rojo Pacific owner John Wright appointed as Spicers’ national product manager. Spicers CEO David Martin welcomed Wright and his team, saying the amalgamation provides growth opportunities. “We’ve been holding discussions with John for some time now, as we respect his approach to the market, along with his product and supply knowledge. We’re very pleased he has agreed to become a key member of our diverse and talented team,” Martin said. “For Rojo, this is a great opportunity to expand the reach for their products and for Spicers, John and his team will add technical knowledge and strength to our portfolio.” Wright said the synergies between the businesses made the decision to join forces easier. “Our joining allows the business to take the next steps much more effectively and for me to focus more on what I enjoy most being product development and focusing on our customer needs,” Wright said. www.sprinter.com.au

EPSON WINS SUSTAINABILITY AWARD Epson’s sustainability and global corporate social responsibility efforts have earned it a new platinum rating from EcoVadis putting the manufacturer in the top one per cent of companies in the industry. Epson has received a gold rating for the previous three years so this most recent accolade takes this rating even higher. The EcoVadis assessment focuses on four themes: the environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. Epson received an ‘outstanding’, the highest score, as well as high scores for sustainable procurement, labour and human rights, and ethics, putting it in the top one per cent in the computer and peripherals manufacturing industry. “Sustainability is a core management strategy for Epson, so the fact that we received a Platinum rating after three consecutive years of Gold ratings is an honour and has tremendous value,” Epson President Yasunori Ogawa said. Epson’s goal is to be an indispensable company for customers and society.

December 2020 ProPrint 15

COMMENT

Print reigns supreme despite digital increase during lockdown: know your numbers to sell the power of print Roy Morgan research shows print reaches 24.1 million Australians and makes users of print more trusted by consumers. This research is a handy tool to help printers sell more print. KELLIE NORTHWOOD

ur industry is resilient and this bodes us well for any challenges we are confronted with, including COVID-19. However, it must be said that it is not only our industry’s resilience, but print itself that must be held up as one of the most powerful and effective communication channels to reach the Australian market. The Real Media Collective works with Roy Morgan Research which surveys the largest pool of Australian and New Zealand consumers to find out how they use print media and what they do with it. The results are impressive. Despite COVID-19 lockdowns halting the channel from reaching letterboxes, the results show readership remains strong and well in advance of digital options that some retailers and brands have explored. Roy Morgan reports that 83 per cent of printed catalogues are read, compared to digital which is sitting at just three per cent. In addition to readership percentages, latest Audience Reach figures are sitting at 24.1 million Australians. This high readership and number of people print can reach makes it a powerful option for our customers. This is important for us to understand as we know the only channel in the letterbox is printed. The home delivery channel aligns well with the pandemic and provides Australians with the opportunity to make well researched and valued shopping choices on their own terms. People report catalogues, leaflets and flyers as being a ‘useful’ media because they help them save money, compare products, research brands and build menus in their home environment. We

16 ProPrint December 2020

must build these stories of success for our customers to continue their investment in print. We must also use the data and research to communicate the power of print as a strong builder of brand trust. The Roy Morgan Trust Index shows the top five most trusted bands in Australia are retailers who use frequent and widereaching print marketing to reach their customers – Bunnings, Woolworths and ALDI. The other two in the top five - Qantas and NRMA - use the letterbox to communicate via loyalty and frequent flyer magazines. Astute retail marketers know how to use print, they recognise how effective and welcomed the channel is and what content to include to ensure the highest readership and engagement from Australians. Roy Morgan figures report the top three retail sectors for catalogue, flyer and leaflet readership show staggering results: • 86% of Australians who have read a printed catalogue, leaflet or flyer in the last four weeks, read or looked into a supermarket piece in the last four weeks. • 63% of Australians who have read a printed catalogue, leaflet or flyer in the last four weeks, read or looked into a Department/Discount store piece in the last four weeks. • 54% of Australians who have read a printed catalogue, leaflet or flyer in the last four weeks, read or looked into a Furniture/Hardware/Electrical store piece in the last four weeks. We must also highlight to our customers that Australians don’t live and breathe one media channel. We watch television, we listen to the radio, we read catalogues and

we go online. We move between media all day, every day and because of this we see brands like Chemist Warehouse, Bunnings, Woolworths, ALDI and others using all channels to communicate their brand and product messages with the greatest impact for, in some cases, franchisors but also FMCG wholesalers. We have one of the highest reach metrics across all media channels, at 24.1 million Australians, bringing brands and products into the homes of every Australian. Print is also revered by retailers as a ‘recession proofing’ channel. Following the global financial crisis, catalogue, leaflet and flyer volumes increased by 8.64 per cent and remained at these high volumes for a decade. Roy Morgan analysis of print readership shows the channel has remained steady during a period of great media disruption, in fact since 2013 print has realised an increase. This performance, when compared to other channels, is impressive and testimony to retailers maintaining strong print investment and it is our job to arm our sales teams with the information. For more information to share with your customers about the power of print please visit www.vopp.com.au and get those festive season print orders in to build your recovery plan. For more information please contact the Collective on hello@thermccom.au. Kellie Northwood is the Chief Executive Officer of The Real Media Collective, an industry association representing the paper, print, publishing, mail and distribution sectors across the Australian and New Zealand landscape. www.sprinter.com.au

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COMMENT

Print 2020 Back in 1999 Frank Romano’s students tried to pinpoint what communication woud look like in 2020. A recent reunion on Zoom gave them a chance to see how right they were.

A reunion with a group of former students has shown just how right this group were when it came to predicting the future of communication back in 1999. FRANK ROMANO

ack in 1999, I gave my graduate class at Rochester Institute of Technology a challenge. They were to research and predict what communication would look like in the year 2020 and then produce their findings as a printed book – all in ten weeks. Recently, most of them joined me in a Zoom reunion to discuss what they predicted. They were in Norway, Japan, Sweden, Germany and ten US states, with many of them working from home in this time of pandemic. What is ironic is that they predicted this form of group communication, which was not apparent in 1999. Their work got some publicity and they were all invited to sit on a panel at the prestigious Seybold Conference in Boston. Many in attendance were printers and they negated the students’ vision of the future. Printers did not believe that there would be any decline in print use. In 1999 the internet was growing exponentially. It was the time of the internet boom with billions of dollars literally thrown at anyone with a reasonable idea for a website. The dot-com bubble (also known as the dotcom boom, the tech bubble and the internet bubble) was a stock market bubble caused by excessive speculation in internet-related companies in the late 1990s, a period of

18 ProPrint December 2020

massive growth in the use and adoption of the internet. Computers were large devices because of tubes. Predictions said that their size would limit their acceptance. One day AT&T announced this thing called the transistor and not much later computers fit in your pocket. It was the confluence of the personal computer and the internet that sowed the seeds of a print upheaval. In 1999, the printing industry was doing very well. Most predictions of print’s future would just take the growth rate of two to four per cent or so per year and project it into the future. But I teach students that history is never neat and orderly. Something will happen that will change everything. And that something was the digital world – ebooks, email, emags, websites, PDFs, etc. One commentator said it was atoms versus bits. Tangible versus intangible. Paper versus digital. One of the reasons I like to work on research projects with students is that they have very little ‘baggage’. They have no vested interests and few strong opinions. At least, not yet. They were able to look at data and trends and project an unseen future. They are very good at developing scenarios that factor in different technological and societal trends. They projected that by 2020, 65 per cent of all communication would be electronic. This

was controversial in 1999. But now we are in the future they predicted and printed paper is suffering in some countries. We move trillions of pages in PDF form over the internet and those pages would have been paper at one time. The students did not go beyond 2020. I think that we have stabilised print replacement in the US and that the number of printers will stay about the same as we move ahead. What is interesting about these students is that few were working in the printing industry. They all had advanced degrees in printing but were working in advertising agencies and media services. A few were in print buying for large companies. Their projections applied to the US. There are different dynamics at work in other countries. But the trend to digital replacement of paper communication will eventually affect every country. In some places the change is rapid and in some places it is slower. It was very special to be reunited with former students. Many had not looked at that report in decades and the discussion was just as interesting as it was in the classroom. We need more real data and real discussion on the direction of our industry. There will be a printing industry, but we just do not know what it will look like as we move forward. www.sprinter.com.au

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December 2020 ProPrint 19

PRINT DIARY

EVENT

LOCATION

DATE

Real Media Awards 2020

Online

Dec 10

ASGA & FESPA Australia HP Awards

Sydney

Feb 19 2021

interpack 2021

Düsseldorf

Feb 25 - Mar 3 2021

FESPA Global Print Expo 2021

Amsterdam

Mar 9 – 12 2021

drupa 2021

Düsseldorf

Apr 20 – 28 2021

Got an event? Send an email to SYoung@intermedia.com.au with all the details and we will put your event on the page

Systems  Printing

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20 ProPrint December 2020

www.sprinter.com.au

PROMOTION The Nekkorb team: (l-r) Harry Brokken, Claire Brokken, Frank Brokken, Kelly Slow, Roy Day, and Natasha Brokken

Nekkorb gets behind the graphics industry For the last 33 years, Frank Brokken has worked with leading companies to help grow the graphic arts industry in Australia and New Zealand.

n 2009, Frank Brokken and his wife Claire set up Nekkorb Solutions to cater to the growing graphic arts industry initially in New Zealand and later in Australia. Frank had spent 33 years working for a number of top name companies such as DuPont and Morrison Printing (now Flint Inks). Always keen to learn of the latest overseas graphic technology that could improve Australasia’s printing industry, he developed a solid reputation in the sector. Since Nekkorb’s inception, Frank’s strong associations and friendships with people and companies, have proved invaluable. He quickly secured a group of well-known companies as his principals, possessing a firm belief, that Nekkorb would supply only trusted, tried, and respected brands. “We want to work with great people and companies that have great products and a commitment to a sound research and development programme,” he said. “It sounds a little old fashioned, but we only wanted to partner with companies whose ethics fitted Nekkorb’s. This philosophy has been a testament to our continued growth and success. “Today, Nekkorb Solutions represents a 22 ProPrint December 2020

world class group of innovative and industry leading manufacturers of consumables and capital equipment for the printing industry.” These include: • MPS – the manufacturer of flexographic, offset, and digital hybrid label printing machines. The MPS machine range is the most advanced technology and softwarebased solution in the marketplace today with machines that run from roll to roll or roll to sheet. • DuPont – flexographic printing plates and equipment. The innovator in flexo plate production, DuPont, introduced the environmentally friendly thermal plate process Cyrel Fast with thousands of installations now spread across the globe. • SOMA – the flexographic machine leading innovator with the Optima2 platform setting the benchmark for other equipment manufacturers to aspire to. • 3M – the science company that has developed world-class label materials, tapes of all types and safety and protection equipment that can be trusted. • WINK – flexible and rotary dies that have established themselves as the industry standard. If you want a trusted and consistent brand to enhance your production room then WINK products are certainly there to do that. • Zecher – anilox rollers for coating stations and printing machines that are serious about product consistency and lower costs. This company invented the anilox roll more than 70 years ago. No one has more experience and can deliver results for higher production speeds, improved productivity, and increased profits. • TKM – top doctor blades with coated and uncoated edges that can defy the odds and

deliver colour and production consistency. • KTI – butt splicers, turret winders, and more. This innovative equipment can be trusted to deliver results day after day. • X-Rite – industry leading colour measuring devices that set the standard across the world. If you want to communicate with brand owners, production plants and designers across the world, no other company can match its consistency of outcomes. The other great product that X-Rite has to offer is the Rutherford Graphic Product upgrade of older offset presses with colour management and control systems that enables them to compete productively and profitably against more modern equipment. • Esko – integrated solutions for packaging, printing, and finishing. Esko’s Web Centre and Automation Engine enables the most advanced workflow possibilities available today. “In the past 18 months, Nekkorb has been appointed as agent for MPS label printing machines in A/NZ and DuPont plates and equipment in New Zealand,” Frank said. “Nekkorb has enjoyed steady growth year on year through the group of great people who comprise the Nekkorb team. Our eldest daughter Natasha (Tash) joined us in early 2012. In 2017, Kelly Slow joined us; followed by Roy Day in February 2018; and Harry Brokken in early 2019. “Everyone at Nekkorb understands the importance of the customer, as they are our future. They make our business, and they have been the reason for its success and growth. We understand that service is a growing relationship that must be exercised every day, in every transaction.” www.sprinter.com.au

NEKKORB Solutions provides high quality products and expertise to the print industry

PRODUCTIVITY QUALITY SUSTAINABILITY

NEKKORB Solutions Limited T: +64 9 8263441 M: +64 27 7138987 (Frank) +64 21 2346124 (Roy) +64 21 423464 (Natasha) E:

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W: www.nekkorbsolutions.co.nz

2020 Power 50 10 years of Power 50 sponsorship

Sue Threlfo General Manager, Production and Industrial Print Konica Minolta is thrilled to be the gold sponsor of the Power 50 for the 10th consecutive year. Although a challenging year for us all, it is industry events like this that bring us all together to celebrate what we have achieved. We are delighted to have the opportunity to support such a positive initiative. Congratulations to all the Power 50 winners. Globally, Konica Minolta invests heavily in developing highquality and reliable professional print solutions that ignite print possibilities. We are also committed to helping customers rebuild in the post-COVID-19 recovery period with a number of leading technologies that can automate manual processes, reduce costs and improve customer experiences. Konica Minolta maintains its unparalleled reputation for service and support, and we are looking forward to a more prosperous 2021 for the print industry.

ProPrint Power 50 10th anniversary

elcome to the 10th anniversary of the ProPrint Power 50. When this initiative was first launched it was designed to not only recognise the innovators and leaders in this great industry, but also to celebrate print itself. We believe the premise of the Power 50 is unchanged. It continues to represent the members of this great industry who day in and day out put in their best efforts to grow their businesses and the industry to ensure its future sustainability. The year 2020 has been a massive challenge for us all and printers are no doubt among the hardest hit. When an economy stops almost overnight and for extended periods of time, print is one of the first things to go. But like life, COVID-19 hit some harder than others. The scale of the damage correlated directly to the sector a printer operated in. For those who did it tough, our thoughts go out to you and we hope 2021 will bring renewed positivity and prosperity. Despite the turmoil, the industry has emerged on the other side and it's time to celebrate this very survival. The strength and determination of printers to hold their www.sprinter.com.au

ground, find a potentially business-saving â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;pivotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and slowly get back on track is inspiring, especially when this crisis took place amid a twin assault on our health and our economy. Congratulations to all nominees for the Power 50, you all deserve to celebrate your hard work this year and determination to stay the course. This is your Power 50. Each and every member of the top 100 were able to have their say making it a 100 per cent peer-voted award. As was the case in the last three years, all the votes were thoroughly crunched by our auditing partner, PKF Australia, to ensure a true, fair and 100 per cent independent result. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors as without their support this event would not be possible. Konica Minolta are our gold sponsor and have supported the Power 50 since its inception and we sincerely thank them for this. A special thanks also to HP as silver sponsor and printIQ for providing a bronze sponsor support. We hope you enjoy the read. Congratulations to all Power 50 nominees. December 2020 ProPrint 25

Kellie Northwood chief executive officer, The Real Media Collective

The year 2020 has devastated many sectors of the printing industry. When society shuts down, the wheels of industry grind to a halt and the printer is usually the first to feel the pain. Add to this constantly changing health advice about how to safely run a business and overnight a bewildering and highly stressful situation has evolved. Through all the difficulties and heartache, Kellie – a printing industry veteran with over 20 years’ experience was there providing a steady supply of information, guidance and moral support for this industry. In a stroke of impeccable timing, The Real Media Collective – an industry association which represents the paper, print, publishing, mail and distribution sectors - this year also employed industrial relations and governance expert Charles Watson and his services have proved invaluable to many during the pandemic. Kellie, who accepted a sizeable pay cut to see her organisation through the pandemic and ensure its strength for 2021, has also

26 ProPrint December 2020

achieved many wins for the sector throughout the year. Among them was her success in securing a delay in the federal government’s waste export ban, while also ensuring the sector is involved in decisions about what sort of infrastructure is needed to better deal with waste onshore. A temporary COVID-19 concession from Australia Post was also won, along with a better deal for Charity Mail. She also created an industry insights survey that was used to inform government and helped secure an important essential service classification for Victoria during the second wave lockdown. Coles’ decision to partially justify its decision to no longer distribute a printed catalogue to homes also sparked an immediate response from Kellie with her opinions making into the mainstream media. She is now also working on a fightback campaign in response to this decision. Her passion and vision for the industry remains strong so it will be exciting to see what 2021 brings.

Kellie Northwood has proven she is about more than just marketing. Her actions secured meaningful wins for the industry in 2020.

www.sprinter.com.au

SPONSORED BY

Geoff Selig

Matt Aitken

www.sprinter.com.au

executive chairman, IVE Group

Well respected in the industry for his strong leadership in the face of challenging conditions created by a global pandemic

chief executive officer, IVE Group

Recognised for his prudent financial management through the pandemic and care for all staff

This industry stalwart continues to lead Australia’s largest diversified marketing, printing and distribution business as it charts a course through the challenging conditions created by a global pandemic. Before anyone had heard of COVID-19, IVE kicked off the year by announcing its decision to buy the Salmat distribution business, which included Reach Media in New Zealand, for $25 million. This decision was also timed around the announcement that IVE’s four divisions – Kalido, Blue Star, Pareto and IVEO – would be streamlined under one, unified brand – IVE. In 2020, IVE also expanded its footprint into Western Australia with a five-year deal worth $100 million with Australian Community Media secured. The pandemic also prompted IVE to leverage its existing supply chains and existing relationships to launch a personal protective equipment (PPE) range, under the new brand name ivolve. But like any business there are always unexpected occurrences, and this came in August with the shock announcement by Coles that it would cease printing and distributing its weekly catalogue to instead shift focus to its digital strategy. Geoff showed his usual pragmatic and open leadership style upon this news saying that while the Coles decision would create a $35 million to $40 million dint in IVE Group’s revenues, the business was in a strong position and would be able to mitigate any revenue losses. As the leader of this successful company, Geoff continues to steer the course while maintaining respect, integrity and outstanding leadership in a changing industry.

Matt has retained his spot in the top 10 thanks to his constant engagement with staff, colleagues and the broader industry and his enduring commitment to leading from the front and setting the right example for others. Since COVID-19 was first announced in March, Matt has made the physical and mental health of IVE’s 1700-strong workforce and the continuity of operations his number one focus. He remains supportive of mental health advocacy group, Man Anchor, and also introduced the IVE Care Program. This program focuses on ensuring and improving two key areas of IVE's business: the quality and security of products and services to clients and also the wellbeing, safety, diversity and inclusion of all employees. He has also placed equal priority on the prudent financial management of the business to ensure it remains strong and in a position to keep growing into the future. To achieve this he oversaw the $25 million purchase of distribution business, Salmat, in January. He was also central in securing a $100 million five-year deal with Australian Community Media, which has also allowed IVE to expand into Western Australia. Matt is the current Chairman of The Real Media Collective which has made considerable progress in 2020 with its support of members and the broader industry. This has included collaborating with other industry associations to ensure the strongest possible industry representations are made to government. Despite difficult conditions, IVE posted a strong full year result while also reducing debt. It also established a Data Driven Communications division.

December 2020 ProPrint 27

Lachlan Finch director, Rawson Print Co.

Recognised for encouraging the industry to value its own capabilities

Debbie Burgess & John Bright co-directors, Bright Print Group

Taking advantage of opportunities is the secret to success for this dynamic brother and sister team

28 ProPrint December 2020

Every day Lachlan and the two other co-directors at Rawson Print Co., Andrew Price and Shane Wildash, give 100 per cent of their time and energy to ensuring the business continues to grow and live by its key principles of producing beautiful print and providing the highest level of service to customers. Lachlan is a dedicated defender of print and is actively engaged and remains committed to improving the sustainability of the printing industry. He is also passionate about the economic, social and environmental responsibilities the industry shares and is driven by the objective of changing common misperceptions surrounding the industry’s environmental credentials. He is also inspired by the camaraderie within the printing industry and enjoys nothing more than the opportunity to meet up with other members of the industry and have a great catch up. Lachlan also wants the industry to recognise and value itself and the work it produces. Like many businesses Rawson Print Co. faced its own challenges during COVID-19 and this required all of the company’s directors to act strategically and decisively to manage the impact of the pandemic to enable the business to remain strong at all levels. This ensured continuity for customers and even more importantly the welfare of the company's employees. While remaining committed to the business, Andrew continues to be an Australian representative on the worldwide HP Dscoop users’ group and is an ambassador for Man Anchor and remains supportive of the amazing work done by this group’s founder Steven Gamble.

This brother and sister duo are fourth generation printers who have steadily grown this family-owned business, both organically and through acquisition, to now have 115 staff working across its two sites in Sydney’s Wetherill Park and in Newcastle. The business continues to offer increased value-added services including point of sale, warehousing and inventory control as well as the kitting and distribution of promotional products. Debbie and John each bring a distinctive set of skills to the business and work together to ensure the right decisions are made. 2020 has brought challenges but out of that came the opportunity to purchase John McPherson’s long-running Sydney Binding business and create a new trade service, Twenty 20 Bindery. When it became known that Sydney Binding was to close, they swung into action as they both knew operating their business without access to a PUR trade binding facility in NSW would have been both costly and detrimental. The operation is now up and running and is based near Bright Print Group’s Wetherill Park factory. In other initiatives this year, the pair have continued to invest in systems, processes and people to continue to improve the company. They have also utilised the federal government’s investment allowance which has meant Bright Print Group has been able to increase its solar capacity at both Wetherill Park and the Newcastle site as well as upgrade some of other plant and equipment. The business remains focused on looking for future growth opportunities that either complement its current offering or from within the printing industry.

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SPONSORED BY

Kirsten Taylor creative print director, Taylor'd Press

Recognised for championing print in the broader industry while remaining true to her passion for letterpress

Kenneth Beck & Peter Musarra co-directors, Carbon8

Creativity and a prudent approach to business are the hallmarks of Carbon8’s enthusiastic co-directors

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Kirsten Taylor is held in exceptionally high regard across the industry not only for the commitment she has to traditional and bespoke letterpress print but also for the invaluable work she does for the broader industry. She is the Victorian Patron for Women in Print and is also on the board of PacPrint. In addition to ensuring her business would survive the crushing impacts of COVID-19, she also this year joined Ball & Doggett’s Zaidee Jackson for a Reset broadcast which can be found on YouTube. She took part in the series as she believed participating in it would help other printers that were also struggling through the pandemic and working out where to go to next. Kirsten's business, Taylor’d Press, shone at the National Print Awards this year winning five gold medals while also named Offset Printer of the Year and winning the Judges' Award. Kirsten was also named the Exceptional Woman in Print of the Year winner. But behind all of these many successes sits a solid bank of not only hard work but sheer perseverance to rise above life’s challenges. Kirsten is the mother of three amazing daughters and has also lived daily with chronic pain for the last decade. She has now engaged a personal coach to help guide her as she continues on her journey both professionally and personally. She is also looking to work with Man Anchor to give back to society. Kirsten believes the pandemic has given her the opportunity to face up to business challenges while also being more transparent about vulnerability. She says the industry must not be afraid to collaborate in order for its optimistic future to be realised.

Creativity runs in the blood of both Kenneth Beck and Peter Musarra. This year with the devastation of COVID-19 it has been a combination of this creative flair and a healthy dose of prudent business sense that has seen Kenneth and Peter make it through the year unscathed and with their business intact. Being open communicators is another gift Kenneth and Peter have as this helped them deal pragmatically with the immediate risk factors attributable to the pandemic. When the pandemic slammed the economy, Carbon8, like many other printers, suffered the consequences of a steep and sudden drop in work. But rather than sit still and weather the storm, Kenneth and Peter rose up and worked with their team of highly skilled and dedicated employees to find ways to keep not only the wheels of the business turning but also everyone in a job. This freedom that is encouraged amongst the team proved to be just the right environment for Carbon8’s industrial designer, Daniel Sutherland, to come forward with an idea. Daniel could see that with Carbon8's existing equipment and supply chains a face shield could easily be manufactured on-site. With the design and production process under control, Kenneth and Peter then worked around the clock to sign a supply agreement with a NSW Health wholesaler. This is just one example of the calm, considered and pragmatic approach employed by Kenneth and Peter to find solutions to problems. Both Kenneth and Peter are recognised for their open business style that promotes a sharing of information and knowledge within the industry.

December 2020 ProPrint 29

Steven Gamble

Cliff Brigstocke

founder, Man Anchor

This passionate advocate for mental health awareness has developed multiple programmes for the workplace

chief executive officer - production and distribution, IVE Group

This experienced business leader was instrumental in ensuring IVE had a reliable supply of PPE

30 ProPrint December 2020

Steven has worked in the Australian printing industry since the tender age of 16 and remains to this day a passionate believer in the sector. In recent years he has also turned his attention to raising the profile of suicide prevention and mental health with the founding of advocacy group, Man Anchor. He has managed to do this while raising a young family and also continuing to serve as the national sales manager at BĂśttcher Australia. The reputation of Man Anchor and the programmes it offers are rapidly growing throughout both the print sector and broader industry. The organisation runs a variety of mental health first aid workshops for companies, associations, gyms and sports clubs to help provide tips for how best to approach a colleague, friend or family member who may be dealing with mental health problems. Over the years Steven has conducted many of these workshops with printing industry related companies and in that time has had a significant impact on the way mental health is seen and treated in the workplace. Many printing companies including large corporations like IVE Group and Ovato now have mental health first aid trained employees on site who can assist when there is a problem among the team. This year he also provided a workshop to a group of Visual Connections members in a further sign of industry engagement. 2020 has thrown up huge challenges to many and mental health is one of the most significant as it effects not only by the sufferer, but also family, friends and colleagues. A Woman Anchor initiative has also now been launched.

Cliff Brigstocke is well known and regarded in the Australian printing industry so his top ten finish in the Power 50 will come as no surprise. Brigstocke has held senior management positions in the industry and prior to joining IVE was one of the founders of Opus Group. He also has a background in publishing having worked in senior management of a business that has since become Thomson Reuters. All of this has given him a unique perspective across the industry. Cliff leads a team of 1,000 staff across all production units, excluding web production. He also oversees IVEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sourcing office in China which became crucial as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to be felt. Based on customer requests, Brigstocke changed the focus of this 12-person sourcing team to focus on securing personal protective equipment and hygiene products for IVE customers. This dedicated team, based in Guangzhou, China, sourced several key products including sanitisers, wipes, gloves and other protective equipment. He says having a dedicated team on the ground ensured that not only were the products ethically sourced, but they also met all relevant standards and were fully quality control tested. Being able to leverage the team in China through having good local relationships has meant IVE has a dedicated range of over 60 products covering the majority of requirements for a safe and hygienic workplace. These items are also now sourced in Vietnam and India. It is actions like these that have allowed IVE to maintain its strong market position during this year of the pandemic.

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SPONSORED BY

Keith Ferrel general manager - operations, Cactus Imaging

Revered for his open-door policy, depth of knowledge and most of all for just being himself

Keith Ferrel is one of the most highly regarded and wellliked printers in Australia. The immense respect and positive regard he is held in was reflected by the comments from those who nominated him for this award including one example: "... Keith Ferrel - enough said!!!". Keith is known for having an open-door policy at wideformat outdoor print specialist, Cactus Imaging, in Sydney. No question is ever considered too insignificant to ask and he is known for always being happy to take the time to discuss concerns or issues another member of the industry may be having. His opinions are also highly valued by many printing equipment manufacturers who regularly consult with Keith on how best to improve technology or design new pieces to better satisfy the needs of a modern printer. His knowledge and experience are second to none and he is always willing to share this information if it will help improve the standing of the industry and business operations for an industry colleague. Keith is also a keen mentor to junior staff and has the ability to relate to absolutely everyone across the Cactus Imaging business with ease. He is also active in promoting print to the mainstream community and this year took the opportunity presented by COVID-19 to run a series of static banners across metropolitan areas that prompted viewers to think about where the banner was printed. The 'This Billboard Didn't Print Itself' campaign caught the eye of many on major city thoroughfares but also tracked well on social media ensuring the question about print and why it is so relevant was top of mind for many.

Congratulations Congratulations on finishing in the Top Ten of the Power 50 for 2020. You are commended for your efforts throughout the year.

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December 2020 ProPrint 31

Igniting print possibilities 2020 has been a challenging year across the board with business disruption caused by COVID-19 causing real challenges for many printing businesses. However, now that much of the dust has settled, many printers are taking the time to reset their businesses in light of the new landscape.

rganisations are quickly realising that the pathway to recovery requires a strategic approach to strengthen and prepare the business for a changed future. Getting back to normal is no longer on the agenda. Instead, print businesses must create a new normal, revitalising the organisation for a brighter tomorrow. Getting production print businesses firmly on the road to recovery and on a path to growth means embracing key concepts of automation and efficiency, and a deliberate and sustained shift to digital. The two are intertwined, with digital printing systems and processes delivering automation and efficiency gains that can help businesses overcome challenges that may have emerged during the disruption. Konica Minolta is committed to helping its customers ignite print possibilities in the postCOVID-19 recovery period and beyond.

These workflows eliminate unnecessary manual steps to let printers complete more jobs in less time, improving margins. Workflows can become complicated when printers work with a combination of offset, digital cut-sheet, reel-fed, and wide format devices. This complexity adds time and cost to each job. Improving the workflow reduces this complexity and means printers can offer personalised print applications and services, improving competitiveness. Automated workflows can help make printers profitable because they don’t require as much human intervention, so they’re more efficient, less error-prone, and more cost effective. Konica Minolta helps commercial print businesses implement workflow automation solutions that de-risk the process, streamline pre-press work, speed up job turnaround, increase profitability, offer new services, attract new customers and improve customer experience.

Automation and efficiency

C14000 series high-volume production presses

While automation and efficiency improvements are necessary for sustained business success, it’s important to remember that people remain the most valuable asset for most businesses. Automation isn’t about reducing headcount necessarily. It’s more about freeing up people to focus on tasks that contribute meaningfully to the business instead of getting stuck doing tedious, repetitive tasks manually. Automation can take care of those tasks while people work with customers and innovate within the business.

Workflow automation

According to a 2020 drupa trend report, 21 per cent of printers in Australia/Oceania reported declining margins.1 Developing print workflows that can help streamline operations is an important way to control costs while offering customers a superior experience.

32 ProPrint December 2020

Konica Minolta’s AccurioPress C14000 highvolume production presses were released this year, offering higher total productivity and efficiency, and proving to be a gamechanger for local printers. Advanced automation features and accessories are built in, and the presses provide exceptional quality output at high speeds. With in-built automation, the C14000 series delivers high-quality jobs, faster with less human intervention. The C14000 series offers duplex banner printing up to 900mm and simplex banner length capability up to 1300mm. Envelope and embossed media capability gives printers the opportunity to offer new types of work including four-panel gatefold brochures and book covers for finishing offline. When deadlines are tight, quality is key, and efficiencies must be gained, this is when the

C14000 series comes into its own. It offers high-quality prints with maximum stability even in long-run jobs, while automated colour control and registration accuracy with the unique IQ-501 ensures only the best print jobs are delivered. Its robust design results in a highly reliable duty cycle up to 2.5 million prints. The automatic media detection sensor comes standard, detecting the stock and assigning the appropriate tray, eliminating time consuming paper settings and operator error, reducing waste and increasing productivity. Konica Minolta is excited to reveal that some of these features and options will be available on its entry level presses coming in early 2021. This will include the unique TU-510 trimmer unit, which is the first of its kind, as an option.

A first of its kind, TU-510 trimmer

The TU-510 trimmer unit provides a first for inline finishing while reducing manual touchpoints and production costs. It’s a fourside trimmer that gives full-bleed, edge-to-edge prints. It’s also capable of creating five fold lines down the page, and its slitting and cutting

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capabilities can cut the pages down to a smaller sheet size. It also has the option of perforation in line, either vertical or horizontal. The TU-510 creates unlimited possibilities for printing applications such as business cards and oversized long sheets. The TU-510 lets printers produce up to 147 ready-made business cards per minute while saving valuable operator time. It even supports extra-long sheets, so printers can offer more products without increasing the need for manual labour. The extra-large dust box holds the cuttings for up to 1,000 sheets, making it idea for extra-long print runs.

Shifting to digital

Digital presses continue the story of efficiency and productivity for commercial printers. With digital systems, printers can reduce set-up times, print jobs faster and exceed customer expectations. Printing businesses that have relied on offset printing tend to do so because of the perceived difference in image quality, despite the longer preparation times. However, digital printers are closing the gap when it comes to quality. One of the biggest advantages of digital printing is the ability to do short run projects at higher margins, and even to include new marketing features such as personalisation. A digital press lends itself to automation, which immediately increases productivity and, therefore, margins. These new digital presses also provide exceptional quality output at high speeds. And, they also let printers offer new services. The Konica Minolta AccurioPress C14000 series is equipped with the Intelligent Quality Optimiser (IQ-501) as standard, which can improve labour efficiency by as much as 30 per cent. In an era when printers are looking for every possible competitive advantage, a 30 per cent labour saving is a gamechanger.

A sharp increase in digital label printing due to shorter runs

One area in which the shift to digital is having a profound impact is in label printing, where the ability to customise labels and do short print runs is revolutionising the market. Given the crucial importance of labels to a brand or product, a printer who can deliver high-quality labels reliably, quickly, and affordably can command the market. Labels need to stand out on the shelf, so having decorative effects like spot UV and foiling done digitally is a huge bonus. In addition, elements on the label such as barcodes and fine print need to be crisp and clear from the first label to the last. Digital label presses are gaining popularity. They account for almost 30 per cent of all narrow-web press installations worldwide and are forecast to make up close to 40 per cent or more of installations. Digitally printed labels account for close to one-fifth of all print jobs by value.2 Konica Minolta has achieved sales of more than 645 AccurioLabel units globally to the end of August 2020 and has seen a 24 per cent increase in reported print volumes between March and July 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. The recent Smithers Pira report, The Future of Label Printing to 2024, estimated that Australasiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s share of the total printed label market makes up approximately 1.4 per cent of the global market and is forecast to reach the equivalent of 13.2 billion A4 prints in 2020, with a value of approximately AU$840 million. This is growing at approximately 3.6 per cent year-on-year, on track to hit AU$945 million in 2024. The report also predicts that digital print processes in Australasia will continue to grow and will make up approximately 23 per cent of total print volume by 2024.3

Locally, Konica Minolta is seeing that, despite the COVID-19 challenges, label print volumes continued to grow throughout the April-June quarter this year, and July was a record month. The feedback from customers is that digital label production has been fasttracked, with label converters needing to meet increased demand for short-run labels with less human touch. While label volumes have grown, there has also been an increase in production lead times as a result of supply chain issues and an increase in demand, especially for local production. There is a need for agility of production and an increase in e-commerce as well as an increase in demand for health and safety messaging. Customers are focusing on localisation and Australian-made products, presenting an ideal opportunity for local printers to capture this market with a digital label press.

Stepping forward on the path to recovery after COVID-19

Taking full advantage of some of the opportunities that have presented themselves in the wake of COVID-19 may require an initial investment. However, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to look at this as an investment in the future of the business. Commercial print businesses stand to benefit from automation and efficiencies that can be gained from increased digitalisation. 1 https://www.drupa.com/cgi-bin/md_drupa/lib/all/lob/return_

download.cgi/7th_drupa_Global_Trends_Executive_Summary_ English.pdf?ticket=g_u_e_s_t&bid=5539&no_mime_type=0 2 https://www.konicaminolta.eu/eu-en/solutions/professional-

printing/label-printing 3 https://www.smithers.com/services/market-reports/printing/the-

future-of-label-printing-to-2024

Gamechanger: The AccurioPress C14000 offers crucial advanced in-built automation features

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December 2020 ProPrint 33

Peter Harper chief executive officer, Visual Connections

This year threw up serious challenges for Peter and his team at Visual Connections. Visual Impact was cancelled and quickly replaced with the Print, Sign, Display and Graphics Virtual Trade Show which was launched in record

Rod Dawson managing director, Southern Impact

This printing industry leader and innovator is recognised as someone many turn to for advice. Despite the pressures of COVID-19, Rod and his team streamlined and rebranded Southern Impact after the purchase of Rooster IMC in

chief executive officer, CMYKhub

federal president, Lithographic Institute of Australia volunteers her time for the LIA to support and promote printing apprentices. By day, she is a member executive at the AI Group in Brisbane and she also assists the Queensland Government as a print procurement advisor.

Peter Orel executive chairman, Finsbury Green

Finsbury Green remains one of the major print organisations in Australia and Peter has again been recognised for his steady leadership of the organisation which has also weathered the storm of COVID-19. Finsbury

Under Trent’s guidance and with the support of the rest of the team, CMYKhub responded to the challenges and launched a number of new initiatives including Design Desk, a prepress and graphic subscription service.

Mel Ireland

Mel’s role as the federal president of the Lithographic Institute of Australia (LIA) and her ongoing dedication to the printing industry has again earned her a spot in the Power 50. Ireland, a qualified printer in her own right,

October 2019. All business entities – Southern Colour, Impact Digital and Intelligent Media – now operate under the Southern Impact banner are also under one roof at the former Rooster IMC site in Mount Waverley.

Trent Nankervis

Trent is recognised for his leadership of this successful trade printer. CMYKhub has continued to provide trade print services throughout COVID-19 despite harsh operating conditions with shutdowns across the country.

time. During the course of the four-month long show it attracted nearly 13,000 visitors and prompted some good leads for many suppliers. Peter is recognised for showing strength and kindness in what has been a tough year.

Green has a long-held commitment to environmental sustainability in all that it does. It is this continued focus that has ensured the company continues to set benchmarks throughout the industry.

Shane Britten general manager – print and retail display, IVE Group

Britten is a 30-year print veteran who 18 months ago was appointed general manager of IVE Print, while also taking on responsibility for IVE’s retail and display business. He is recognised for handling general management positions

34 ProPrint December 2020

across two business units and is well regarded by his peers and colleagues. Despite the challenges of 2020, Shane takes pride in building great teams with a positive culture to provide continued first-class service to clients.

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SPONSORED BY

Kevin Slaven chief executive officer, Ovato

Kevin is recognised for his continued leadership in the printing industry and also for his role on the Board of The Real Media Collective. As well as an astute company director, Kevin is a keen believer in how data can promote

Andrew Macaulay chief executive officer, Print & Visual Communication Association

Andrew has been nominated for his leadership throughout this year as the industry was confronted with the challenges of bushfires, floods and a pandemic. Andrew is recognised for promoting Australian print

general manager, Allkotes

directors, Avon Graphics Brisbane's Auskote and the screen-printing arm of Daroji. It also purchased Melbourne's Protectaprint this year enabling it to now offer laminating services for oversized sheets.

Tom Eckersley managing director, Eckersley Print Group

Tom is recognised for effectively leading his team through COVID-19 and strategically managing compounding ramifications within the industry. Pre-COVID, Tom had been focused on strategically growing the business

challenges and Darren believes Allkotesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; strength in the current climate is a credit to the entire team who regularly go above and beyond to deliver for clients. He says he is fortunate to have strong support at work and at home.

Tate and Trevor Hone

This father and son team continue to lead this successful trade service provider. Avon Graphics has now grown to have a national footprint with over 100 staff. It recently acquired

procurement to government while also being involved in the creation of a petition to keep print in Australia. The petition garnered nearly 5,000 signatures before it was presented to the federal government.

Darren Delaney

Darren, a printer by trade, has worked at Allkotes for over 25 years and attributes his success to the many people he has had the opportunity to meet and learn from in that time. The year 2020 has presented print with massive

the value of printed communications and as such has made this a key plank for ensuring Ovato's continued success. Kevin has faced the choppy waters of COVID-19 but continues to lead the business into the new era.

through acquisition with Cross & Hamilton Printers successfully integrated into the group in 2019. Under Tom's leadership the company also achieved its ISO14001 Environmental Accreditation this year.

Sandra Duarte chief executive officer, Centrum Printing

Sandra's positive leadership style and the high regard in which she is held by her peers has earned her this spot in the Power 50. Sandra is a big believer in Australian print and manufacturing and a keen promoter of women in

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leadership. She volunteers significant amounts of time to the Inspiring the Future Australia organisation where she shares her knowledge with students and future leaders to build a stronger, better Australia.

December 2020 ProPrint 35

Dayne Nankervis chief operating officer, CMYKhub

An engineer by trade, Dayne was nominated for the leadership he has shown at trade printer CMYKhub since joining two years ago. Dayne has been instrumental in steering the company through the difficult times of COVID-

Stuart Gittus general manager â&#x20AC;&#x201C; print, Active Display Group

Stuart is well known and regarded in the Australian printing industry where he has worked for the last 30 years leading one of the most significant wide format printers in the in the region. He is also recognised for

managing director, Foxcil

chief executive officer, Dashing assets across Australia, New Zealand the US. Kavnat described the project as both challenging and exciting which is great news in what has been a tough year. This company continues to go from strength to strength.

Aldo Burcheri director, Courtney Colour

The owner of this Melbourne-based business is known as a regular investor in new technology. This year he added a HP Latex R2000 flatbed press, while also upgrading to the new HP Indigo 12000 Digital Press which has allowed the

entrepreneur who continually comes up with new product ideas to delight his customers. This year Kirwan rose to the COVID-19 challenge by developing Facespace PPE, a low-cost high-volume face shield for use in many sectors.

Russell Kavnat

Kavnat is again nominated into the Power 50 for his role in leading this display and retail print specialist company. This year Kavnat and Dashing have worked with Afterpay to manage the rollout of their new visual merchandising

managing the business through a difficult year with COVID-19 which has presented its challenges. He is recognised for his continued contribution to the broader industry through his role on the board of Shop! ANZ.

Roger Kirwan

Roger Kirwan is recognised for his continued leadership of his successful Sydney trade print business, Foxcil. He has vast experience in the label and flexible packaging industry and is well regarded as an innovator and

19. He has the respect of all 180 staff and is well regarded by suppliers and others within the industry. Dayne is recognised for achieving a great deal in a relatively short time while also raising a young family.

business to produce highly personalised products in units of one. Aldo says this investment has allowed his business to drive its B2C endeavours to the point where it is now powering a growing chain of retail e-commerce stores.

Wayne Eastaugh managing director, Marvel Bookbinding

Wayne has run one of Australia's last remaining trade bookbinderies for over 30 years. This year, despite tough pandemic conditions, he has continued to operate and remains highly regarded for his loyalty and customer and

36 ProPrint December 2020

supplier relationships. This year he was also instrumental in a petition to keep print in Australia. The petition attracted nearly 5000 signatures and was sent to federal parliament where policy discussions continue.

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SPONSORED BY

Richard Celarc executive chairman, Opus Group

This veteran of the Australian printing industry is well known and highly regarded. He is also the vice president of the Print & Visual Communication Association. This year Richard has been instrumental in creating and promoting

Wayne Finkelde chief executive officer, AAB Holdings

Wayne has worked in the printing industry all his life and was previously the chief executive officer at Pegasus Print Group. He is now the chief executive officer at AAB Holdings, the parent company of Pegasus Print Group, SOS

general manager, Hero Print

president, Print and Visual Communication Association debates. Kuhn also runs Kuhn Corp a substantial printing and packaging firm based in Brisbane. As the current president of the PVCA he also presided over the this year's National Print Awards and the Print2Parliament events.

Romeo Sanuri managing director, Next Printing

Romeo is recognised for successfully leading large format specialist Next Printing, particularly though the difficulty of 2020. Sanuri is described as having passion and persistence when it comes to creating quality print and

continues. This includes aligned itself with a dedicated courier service which has simplified its delivery processes. It also can now offer high-level embellishing services thanks to a recently installed MGI through Konica Minolta.

Walter Kuhn

Walter is recognised for his representation of the print and packaging industries to both federal and state governments. This action has ensured the issues that affect the printing industry are being heard in all policy

Media + Print, F&M Supplies and AB Warehousing & Logistics. Finkelde has been nominated for successfully uniting all four divisions to create a consolidated solution for print, warehousing and logistics, all under one roof.

Alex Coulson

Alex has continued to build the reputation of this trade print business that has operations across Australia. Hero Print is proud to deliver a top quality service to customers and has made some operational changes to ensure this

a national petition to keep print in Australia which gained nearly 5000 signatures before it was submitted to federal parliament. His group of companies includes CanPrint, Ligare and McPherson's Printing Group.

inspiring the rest of his team every day. He has overcome the challenges of COVID-19 with good grace and is always looking for new products to include in the range, including thermometer scanners and hand sanitiser.

Simon Carmody managing director, Spot Productions

Simon is well established in the industry and recognised for his continued success in runing one of Queenslandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest printers. Despite facing a tough 2020 with COVID19, the company is back to where it was a year ago having

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benefited from being a national supplier to the healthcare sector. Carmody says he has been humbled by the support his business receives and puts its success down to being able to offer offset, digital and wide format print.

December 2020 ProPrint 37

Is now the time to gear up for the next era in digital print? Commercial printing is a huge, multi-billion dollar industry. While total commercial print volumes will continue to slide, digital printingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s share of the pie is certainly set to grow. Here, Craig Walmsley, Country Manager HP Indigo Australia and New Zealand, looks at three HP Indigo 100K Digital Press customers and the steps they have taken to push their businesses forward in the midst of a global pandemic.

he commercial printing industry has evolved significantly in the last decade, and while there has been challenges its resilience has seen it remain a huge, multi-billion dollar industry. And while we see commercial print volumes decreasing, digital printingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s share in this will continue to grow in both volume and value. Savvy print business owners understand this and are readying for the growing increase in their share of digital print. For those print businesses with a mixed fleet of analogue and digital equipment, transitioning some of their offset jobs to digital can be exactly the panacea they need to deliver shorter runs with faster turnaround times. Even before the crisis, shorter run lengths with faster delivery times were becoming the norm, and print service providers have been increasingly asked to respond with speed and agility. This has primed digital printing for the moment and more printing companies are moving offset jobs to digital and embracing new digital printing and workflow technologies. The recent long run of stay-at-home days have also bolstered consumer demand for products such as family photobooks and personalisation. Convenient web-to-print storefronts offer 24/7 availability, but the challenge these days is being able to deliver products in the Amazon-like timeframes that consumers have learned to expect.

Prime for the future of digital printing: the HP Indigo 100K Digital Press

Bennett Graphics

Bennett Graphics, located near Atlanta in the USA, recently installed a new HP Indigo 100K Digital Press. The press can continuously print of tens of thousands of duplex B2 sheets every

38 ProPrint December 2020

Bennett Graphics owner David Bennett (right) stands in front of the new HP Indigo 100K Digital Press with a Bennett Graphics press operator

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day, setting a new benchmark in digital sheetfed productivity. With increased digital power, Bennett Graphics has more flexibility to capture business opportunities for last-minute orders in high quantities, driving growth in their direct mail business. “The ability to run jobs digitally saves makeready time and reduces waste associated with offset printing, while the 30 per cent increase in process speed impacts everything; so the more digital volume that we can push towards the Indigo 100K, the better we are as a plant, the more efficient we are, and the more money we save,” Adam Seiz, Vice President of Operations at Bennett Graphics, said. “The press helps to free up our offset presses for the longer runs and does a really good job of delivering outstanding quality at amazing productivity levels.”

ONLINEPRINTERS Group

ONLINEPRINTERS Group, based in Germany, is one of the leading online printing companies in Europe and one of the largest offset houses in Germany, owning HP Indigo presses and extensively using PrintOSX – HP Indigo’s cloud-based, production automation and management system that is helping to shape the smart print factory of the future. ONLINEPRINTERS was the first beta site for the HP Indigo 100K Digital Press and has expanded their digital printing footprint with HP Indigo presses over the years to adapt to the changing behaviour of customers. The ability to print on a variety of different substrates without interrupting production was an essential requirement so they could efficiently process many different orders with maximum flexibility. “Customers are changing their behaviours, ordering smaller runs for a few years now, but

Dutch commercial printer Wihabo is using their HP Indigo 100K Digital Press for mass production printing

ordering them more frequently. Nobody wants to keep an annual supply of brochures in the warehouse anymore,” ONLINEPRINTERS CEO, Roland Keppler, said. “We assume that by 2021, almost half of all print orders will be produced digitally.”

Wihabo

Wihabo, another long time HP Indigo customer based in The Netherlands, recently decided to add an HP Indigo 100K Digital Press to their current fleet. Wihabo, a family owned

ONLINEPRINTERS Group's Juergen Winkler and Ralf Schraud with the new HP Indigo 100K Digital Press

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business founded in 1986, is known for printing unique and personalised high-volume prints for local and international customers, including Tony’s Chocolonely. Their new HP Indigo 100K Digital Press replaces the current HP Indigo 10000 to deliver mass production printing while their three other HP Indigo presses – one HP Indigo 12000 and two HP Indigo 7900s – that Wihabo also has in its printing fleet will focus primarily on specialty prints. “We are very happy with the energy and resource savings we will achieve with the HP Indigo 100K,” Joris Bosch, Technical Director at Wihabo, said. “Due to the speed and quality of the EPM mode on the digital press, we can migrate an even larger part of our offset volume to digital. “Together with HP PrintOSX, we can use real-time data to improve our workflow and efficiency so that we can adapt more quickly to the needs of our customers.” Engineered with offset users in mind, the HP Indigo 100K Digital Press offers striking print quality that matches an offset look-andfeel and prints at speeds that, until now, have been unheard of in the B2 digital print space. Although it’s not known how long the disruptions of the global pandemic will continue, the ability to be agile and efficient won’t be going away any time soon – or ever. Automation will be paramount in keeping labour costs at bay and productivity up to scratch. Growth in artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0, and e-commerce along with the expanded bandwidth of 5G communications will speed us towards a new age in digital printing. The crisis has magnified the far-reaching effects of these technologies, and not being adequately prepared might make it harder to pivot as the “new norm” continues to play out.

December 2020 ProPrint 39

Andrew Price managing director, Rawson Print Co.

Andrew is recognised for his top-class sales skills and for being a thoroughly professional and astute business leader. He is not afraid to speak out on issues affecting the industry including the hot button issue of pricing cutting.

John Georgantzakos managing director, Spotpress

Georgantzakos has been the managing director of Spotpress since 1994. Spotpress has a variety of clients including a number of community newspapers around NSW and Australia. Spotpress was once a newspaper

member relationship executive, Ai Group

owner, Vivad business style favours good customer service and relationships over a focus on blind efficiency and cost. These qualities ensure he is always positive which makes him a joy to work with for customers and suppliers alike.

Darryl Meyer chief executive officer, Print Web Offset, IVE Group

This key player in the Australian printing industry was promoted to chief executive officer of Print Web Offset at IVE Group in 2019. He is recognised for always looking for ways to find further efficiencies in the production process

recognised for being able to clearly communicate the broad variety of information related to COVID-19 business assistance packages as well as other important safety measures for members to ensure they were up to date.

Ewen Donaldson

Ewen is recognised for his sophisticated approach to print innovation. He is known as someone who is always trying to find a better way to support his clients and at the same time push the broader industry further ahead. His

publisher but now uses this experience to enable it to better perform as a print manufacturer, business advisor and strategist to others. John is also a current board member of the Print & Visual Communication Association.

Jenny Berry

The year 2020 has been a tough one for all. Jenny is recognised for day in and day out listening to the issues of Ai Group's printing and media industry members as they tried to navigate the difficult road of COVID-19. Jenny is

During COVID-19, Andrewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership skills shone as he produced weekly video updates for staff about the status of the business as well as health and safety protocols. Andrew is well respected by his peers and colleagues.

to ensure print remains a sustainable and cost effective medium for the next generations. He sets about achieving this goal by finding the most effective technological print solutions for the business.

Mitchell Mulligan president, Visual Connections

Mitchell remains ever passionate about the printing industry and is serving as the current federal president of supplier association, Visual Connections. A key Visual Connections event, Visual Impact, was unable to take

40 ProPrint December 2020

place this year due to COVID-19. The association quickly organsied a four-month virtual show to replace it and Mitchell played a key part in making this a reality. He is also the managing director of BĂśttcher Systems.

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Gavin Allen owner, Crystal Media

Cairns-born Allen started this Brisbane print and design business in the early 1990s at a time that coincided with him playing rugby league for the Brisbane Broncos and representing Queensland in the State of Origin. Allen is

Nigel Spicer general manager Cactus Imaging

Nigel was nominated for his excellent leadership qualities, which were really put on show during COVID-19 as the company adjusted to meet the demands of operating in a pandemic. Nigel has been a part of the Cactus Imaging

owner, Imagination Graphics

directors, Mediapoint better. Where many see challenges, they see opportunities and they aren't afraid to go for it. During COVID-19, they installed over $1m in new equipment from Durst and Plastgrommet.

Leo Moio director, Print Media Group

Leo's continued leadership and high levels of business acumen have seen him again nominated for the Power 50 as Print Media Group strengthens despite facing challenges in traditional markets. It continues to forge

strong reputation meant many local printers helped him through this period. The arrival of COVID-19 forced Emmanuel to diversify into supplying Perspex screens to hospitals and launching a branded three-layer mask.

Jamie & Jason Xuereb

Brothers Jamie and Jason are well known for taking the large format print sector and giving it a good shake. They bring fresh eyes to this part of print and are always asking how they can do

team for over 20 years and continues to prove himself to be one of the most trusted and knowledgeable grand format print specialists in the country who is held in undisputed high regard by all.

Emmanuel Buhagiar

Emmanuel literally stayed afloat this year in every sense of the word. His factory was flooded in February just after the installation of his new Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1 resulting in a long period of downtime. Emmanuel's

recognised for successfully steering his business through the difficulties of the pandemic. This year it has expanded its capacity in wide format as part of its push to serve new customers in the health sector.

into new markets with its most recent acquisition being the 2019 purchase of Label Design and Printing. The company dates back to 1892 and continues today with a demonstrated proficiency as a leading print supplier.

Marcus Hooke executive general manager production, logistics & property, News Corp

This year News Corp has made major changes to its newspaper production with many publications now being produced in a digital-only format. It also sealed a deal to share print facilities with ACM and Nine Entertainment

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Group marking a further consolidation of its print sites. Amongst all of this, the company has also taken out a 10-year lease on a printing and distribution centre in western Melbourne which Hooke will oversee.

December 2020 ProPrint 41

Robert Soutar director, Adams Print

Robert has long run the production side of of this Geelong-based print business and says without a doubt 2020 has been the toughest year yet. Adams Print prides itself on quality work and this year won a gold medal at

Simon Pugh director & chief executive officer, QLM Label Makers

Simon is recognised for developing young talent to run each company division as it continues its razor-sharp focus to be market leader. The strategy seems to be paying off with the company, which moved into a new purpose-

built factory in 2020, recording double digit yoy growth as it continues its push into South East Asia. Simon is recognised for leading the company through COVID-19 with strong, collaborative and on-point messaging.

John O’Brien vice president and managing director, CCL Australia and New Zealand

John is recognised for leading the Australian and New Zealand divisions of this global labels company. Despite the difficulties with COVID-19, the company continued to perform strongly supported due to key investments it

the 2020 National Print Awards for its Building With Bellevarde Book (5th Edition) and bronze for the Matisse – Picasso Exhibition Catalogue. Robert says this is all due to doing the best possible work to ensure happy customers.

made last year. CCL is largely focused on providing print and packaging services to the wine, spirits and healthcare industries. John recently took up the position of vice president and GM of the company's Canadaian division.

Mark Shergill chief executive officer, Focus Print Group

Mark’s dream to work in print began in 1987 with a small shopfront in Marrickville in Sydney. Fast forward 33 years and he is continuing to run this family-owned business. Over the years Focus has purchased more than 15 other

companies and now has over 100 employees across the country. Mark is highly regarded by colleagues and those in the industry and is described as always reachable and as a leader who treats his employees very well.

Thank you to the Judging Panel and Australia official auditors of the ProPrint Power 50 42 ProPrint December 2020

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Digital print shows the way Digital printing is moving to centre stage, incrementally edging out analogue technologies. It has been the trend now for almost two decades, but at the start of the 2020s it is becoming clear that digital is no longer the support act, but arguably the main attraction. By Peter Kohn

ow that the speeds of the major inkjet press contenders are competitive with offset and LED UV curing has sorted previously tricky drying issues, the advantages of digital smarts such as variable data printing, cloud connectivity, automated job management and integration with analogue workflows are making it potentially unbeatable across various formats. And while the larger format (B1/B2) space is still the domain of litho presses operating on the efficiencies of fast makeready and attractive cost per impression, partly owing to freedom from click charges – and some will argue there is a marginal qualitative edge – the parameters in which offset is the better choice are becoming increasingly finite with each season of new inkjet releases. There is much attention on the new crop of inkjet webs, but inkjet sheetfed, and for that matter toner-driven processes, are also thriving in the marketplace. And in the wideformat and grand format sector, a new crop of flatbeds and roll-to-roll presses are becoming the lifeblood of the lucrative signage industry. ProPrint asked vendors to explain how their offerings can help a print provider’s bottom line in these turbulent times.

Canon Production Printing Canon is well positioned this year with new technology announcements both in webfed and sheetfed inkjet technology, pushing the technology boundaries further than ever by increasing productivity and further improving the cost model and break-even point against offset with its new ProStream 1800 webfed and varioPRINT iX-series sheetfed inkjet presses, says Herbert Kieleithner, national manager, digital web press technology. The ProStream 1800 complements Canon’s ProStream 1000 technology, and can deliver over 11,300 B2 sheets per hour. It also offers 44 ProPrint December 2020

great media flexibility for coated and uncoated stock and an extended stock weight range from 40 to 300 gsm, he says. Outlining the business case for Canon’s web and sheetfed technologies, Kieleithner says, “In today’s market everyone is looking how to work smarter, reduce costs and improve margins. Additionally, offset presses are aging and costs for upkeep and maintenance are rising.” With high-resolution print heads and developments in environmentally friendly polymer inks that deliver new print quality and a colour gamut “beyond offset”, he sees the ProStream 1800 and varioPRINT iX3200 as “revolutionising the commercial printing business experience”.

Durst Oceania Matt Ashman, managing director of Durst Oceania, says Durst’s range of P5 true hybrid flatbeds offer flexibility and value for money. He describes the features that make the P5 range an unbeatable proposition. “The ability to load multiple sheets and have them all printed together with no alignment needed, being able to print roll media unattended on the same unit, printing boards up to a massive 3.5m width with no length restrictions,” he said. Meanwhile, Durst’s TAU range of direct-tomedia (DTM) inkjet label presses offers options to the label converter, as well as the commercial or wide format printer looking for new opportunities, says Ashman. “With the ability to print up to 52cm wide at 100 linear minutes per minute, it is the most productive inkjet press in its class,” he said. “The biggest advantage flatbed DTM offers is flexibility and zero setup cost, no need for expensive screens, no need to store them for your customer just in case of a reorder. No need to have a minimum quantity to justify the cost of the setup of a screen press. You can print one or 1,000 for the same setup cost.”

Ashman’s advice to print providers looking for new opportunities with wide-format inkjet is to “be efficient for those customers who need it fast and be creative for those who need a difference”. And he adds, “With a Durst press you have both opportunities”.

EFI Rodd Harrison, EFI’s vice president of sales APAC, says the VUTEk D series is an attractive wide-format offering, consisting of two mid-range roll-to-roll printers that help sign and display customers drive more volume with high-end digital print. The 3.5 metre-wide VUTEk D3r prints up to 204 square metres per hour, while the 5.2 metrewide VUTEk D5r prints up to 244 square metres per hour. Both are available with options that drive value for users, he notes. These include colour and white ink with simultaneous clear coating; inline x-cutters and y-slitters; automatic backlit and blockout printing; and media spreaders and motorised winders. As with all EFI UV LED printers, these new releases also provide energy cost savings compared with latex or conventional UV devices, and they enable the use of thinner, heat-sensitive substrates, says Harrison. EFI’s advanced UV LED offerings emphasise the versatility digital print offers, expanding the range of media users can print on while delivering productivity and cost efficiencies, Harrison explains. “These printers leverage many of the advanced capabilities from EFI’s highly successful VUTEk 3r+ and 5r+ printers, offering a mid-range solution for an even wider variety of high value applications thanks to its combination of white and clear inks,” he said. www.sprinter.com.au

Kodak CMYK inks creates more profit per job and allows printers to transition more work from higher-cost offset presses or toner devices.” Meanwhile, the Nexfinity digital press “is an extremely reliable workhorse which offers unprecedented flexibility with substrate types, formats and thicknesses, along with production using special inks in the fifth imaging unit. It delivers running costs competitive with medium-run offset and prints up to 400 per cent more pages per month than competing sheetfed digital presses. This enables printers to gain a wider range of digital jobs, increase their sales, shift more short-to-medium-run jobs from offset to digital and achieve a faster ROI,” Mollee says. He sees the Prosper Ultra 520 as the optimal choice for high-quality commercial applications such as direct mail, inserts, brochures, catalogues and books – even those with high ink coverage. And for Nexfinity, typical applications are marketing collaterals, direct mail, short-run publishing, photobooks, calendars, catalogues, manuals, POS materials and packaging. Digital printing is fast becoming a strong contender against litho when it comes to quality and price (photo credit: Durst)

“The printers are equipped with additional printheads which offers both white and jettable clear ink for matte and glossy effects. This enables printing clear flood-coat in gloss or matte and even spot-clear embellishments covering a wider range of unique applications, including wall decorations and murals, window graphics, flooring, highvalue prints with selective gloss effects, fleet graphics, and truck-side curtains.”

Fuji Xerox Australia Fuji Xerox Australia is also well positioned to offer customers outstanding image quality, productivity and flexibility with its broad range of inkjet, toner and flatbed digital presses. It recently launched an upgrade to its popular Versant range with the 3100i and 180i models now available. When it comes to toner sheetfed, Fuji Xerox also offers the Iridesse Production Press which delivers top quality images at up to 120 pages per minute. The press uses CMYK + 2 specialty colour stations offering the flexibility to overlay and underlay colours at output with a broad selection of specialty dry inks including silver, gold, clear, white, and pink dry ink. It also boasts the Jet Press 750S, which is the third generation of the Jet Press marque. This four-colour inkjet cut-sheet press delivers 3,600 B2 sheets per hour with what it calls unsurpassable print quality due to its use of SAMBA head technology, pioneered by Fujifilm. Fuji Xerox’s new Vybrant UF10 is a true flatbed press that produces high quality printing on a range of rigid and flexible media, whilst incorporating LED curing to minimise energy use. It is also supported by four vacuum zones and can print volumes www.sprinter.com.au

typically up to 7,500 square metres per year. The company says this flatbed is ideal for businesses looking to grow their capability but with a cost-effective price point.

Kodak

The Prosper Ultra 520 press closes the gap with litho, thanks to superior inkjet productivity, quality and cost, says Robert Mollee, Kodak sales director, ANZ. “It prints highest image quality two-tothree times faster than our competition, which reduces costs, enables faster lead times and improves customer satisfaction. The press achieves a 95 per cent larger gamut than SWOP (Specifications for Web Offset Publications), which increases sales and customer satisfaction by more accurate colour-matching for the most demanding jobs. “And the use of lowest cost, water-based

Konica Minolta Earlier this year, Konica Minolta launched its new flagship models, the AccurioPress C14000 and C12000. Over four years in development, these toner-based technologies were customised for high-volume colour environments, offering fast output speeds of up to 140ppm on A4 size sheets with a maximum monthly volume of 2.5 million pages. Grant Thomas, product marketing manager, production print, at Konica Minolta Australia, describes the AccurioPrint and AccurioPress range as “quite diverse – they include everything from black and white, through to colour and even high chroma”. “In an increasingly competitive market, extended capability with inline finishing options is proving invaluable in helping printers win new customers and retain existing clients. It also means they can turn more jobs around, faster and more costeffectively which ultimately will help Continued on page 46

Konica Minolta’s new KM-1e offers even more advanced digital inkjet print head design with patented Dot Freeze Technology December 2020 ProPrint 45

Ricoh offers an extensive portfolio of mono and colour cutsheet presses including this Pro C5300s

Continued from page 45

improve the bottom line,” he says. Meanwhile, the AccurioJet KM-1e is Konica Minolta’s latest digital B2+ UV inkjet press, combining the substrate capability and the stability characteristic of offset presses with the benefits of the latest in digital technology, says Tatjana Ferguson, product marketing manager, Industrial Print and Wide Format, at Konica Minolta Australia. “The AccurioJet KM-1e incorporates even more advanced inkjet print head design with patented Dot Freeze Technology paired with unheard of versatility in offset substrate handling.”

Ricoh Australia Henryk Kraszewski, senior product and marketing manager, production print, at Ricoh Australia, says the vendor’s extensive portfolio of mono and colour cutsheet presses and high-speed continuous-feed inkjet presses all utilise innovative Ricoh technology. “A common thread across all of these presses is the breadth of substrates supported. Both the cutsheet and continuous-feed family of presses can run the most diverse array of stocks in their class in paper types, weights and sizes,” he said. The Pro VC70000 utilises Ricoh’s industrial printhead technology, extended gamut ink technology, patented advanced dryer technology and controller technology

to ensure consistent, high-quality output on a wide range of media, including offset coated stocks (with no priming or post-treatment required). Combined with the highest speed in its class, Kraszewski sees it providing a cost-effective solution to the high-volume production of near offset quality graphic communications. Ricoh offers one mono cutsheet press family (the Pro 8300S series) and three colour cutsheet platforms (the Pro C5300S series, Pro C7200X series and the Pro C9200 series). All colour models are either completely new or refreshed this year. He predicts that “post-COVID-19, print runs will continue to shrink. That provides significant opportunities for digital presses with their ability to deliver high-quality output on almost any substrate – but with the ability to do so economically on runs from one to thousands.”

Screen GP Australia Screen has been in the digital inkjet press business since 2006 with the Truepress Jet range, notes managing director Peter Scott. This range has evolved into two distinct categories – high-speed inkjet and labels and packaging inkjet. All are webfed for speed and economy. In high-speed commercial there are two families – the Truepress Jet HD (high-definition) and Truepress Jet NX. The HD series can come with SC inks for offset quality on offset stocks. The NX series is faster and more suited to transactional, direct

marketing and mono book production. For labels and packaging, Screen has the Truepress Jet L350UV series and it recently announced the Truepress Pac830F for flexible packaging on up to 830mm web width. Screening technology and the Equios workflow are Screen’s own and the machines have proven to be extremely reliable and durable, even in the most punishing environments. “This, and the fact we do not impose ‘click’ charges makes Screen Truepress Jet presses a more profitable investment in the long run,” says Scott. “Screen has always believed that the printer should be in control of their costs, and not the supplier. “Our business proposition is quite simple – we make and sell what we believe to be the best digital presses, we do not charge per ‘click,’ we are competitive on ink costs, printheads and parts, and we service and support our machines for longer than anyone else.” Scott sees a growing list of applications for Screen’s digital range, including books, magazines, direct mail, transactional, coupons and lottery tickets, labels, shrink sleeves, stand-up pouches, folding cartons, corrugated, sacks and bags and flexible packaging of all kinds. “Better profitability is to be found in packaging applications, thanks to the valueadd of various converting methods.” PP

Inkjet versus toner What’s the case for inkjet versus today’s latest evolution of toner technology? Canon Production Printing’s Herbert Kieleithner says liquid toner and developer gradually degrade over time, affecting image and colour quality. “Operators have to continually tweak the colour balance to achieve consistent colour results within long runs or between runs. In contrast, the inkjet process is a constant, unchanging system that doesn’t degrade or require tweaking. Flexibility improves when jobs move from offset to inkjet,” he said. Matt Ashman of Durst Oceania says, “Inkjet gives all the benefits of the traditional, digital technology of toner, but with so much more durability and 46 ProPrint December 2020

longevity. No need to over-laminate or encapsulate, inkjet is ready straight off the press.” Rodd Harrison at EFI said: “It’s about versatility, media size and speed. “Inkjet, by virtue of being a non-contact process, can print at higher speeds. Inkjet continues to make significant inroads as the highervolume production solution for paperbased and other cut sheet documents, which are traditionally toner’s domain.” Both technologies have their place, says Kodak’s Robert Mollee, adding that inkjet offers maximum productivity and costefficiency with top image quality for webfed mid-volume graphic arts applications. “Toner is targeted at short to

mid-run sheetfed production and excels with maximum flexibility, application versatility and inline print embellishment options,” he said. Ricoh Australia’s Henryk Kraszewski says, “Continuous-feed inkjet printers cannot match the image quality or substrate flexibility of cut sheet toner devices, but offer a significant advantage in print volume capability – up to 40m A4 pages per month – and print speed with a markedly lower variable cost per page.” Screen GP Australia, Peter Scott says, “Toner has its place, but inkjet will always offer higher speeds, more colours, higher uptime and more versatility on stocks that can be printed.” www.sprinter.com.au

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2020

Foundation Partner

To all the 2020 Emerging 50 nominees, congratulations from ProPrint and our generous sponsors.

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mediasuper.com.au

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Issued July 2020 by Media Super Limited (ABN 30 059 502 948, AFSL 230254) as Trustee of Media Super (ABN 42 574 421 650).

2020 Emerging 50 Foundation Partner Message

Susan Heaney Chair, Media Super Media Super has been supporting printers since 1987, and while a lot has changed, your dedication to excellence and innovation hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. The Emerging 50 is an outstanding initiative that recognises and rewards exceptional young professionals who show exemplary promise as future leaders in the print, packaging and communications sector. 2020 will be a year to remember for reasons we could not have imagined a year ago. However, for those on the 2020 Emerging 50 list, we hope this recognition will be a positive accolade to remember the year. Now more than ever, Australians need a strong print industry and judging by the women and men on this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Emerging 50, its future is in good hands. Media Super is proud to continue its support of the ProPrint Emerging 50, recognising the next generation of print leaders. Congratulations to the Emerging 50, and hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to your ongoing career success.

Welcome to the 2020 ProPrint Emerging 50

elcome to the ProPrint Emerging 50 which recognises the industry’s rising stars. The year 2020 has been an immense test for us all but it is encouraging that despite the challenges hope remains in the shape of this inspiring group of Emerging 50 nominees. The Emerging 50 was introduced in 2019 to recognise the achievements of those in the early stages of their printing industry careers. Being recognised in the Emerging 50 is not dependant on age, but on experience with all nominees required to have spent five years or less working in the sector. This year’s crop come from all corners of the industry – including graphic design, prepress, production, sales, account management and administration – and also nearly all the corners of the country. Having nominees from Renmark in regional South Australia, Broken Hill in far western NSW and Darwin in the Northern Territory shows that all over Australia the printing industry is on the move with new talents rising through the ranks. While the nominees come from different parts of the

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industry, they are united by their commitment to print and a willingness to achieve. This year ProPrint partnered with The Real Media Collective to deliver a 12-month mentorship prize to one lucky member of the Emerging 50. You will learn more about this lucky winner as you read through the magazine. Each nominee was given the opportunity to enter the competition and we were thrilled to have 32 high-quality entries submitted. A panel of industry judges then assessed each entry to decide on the eventual winner. We thank them for giving this process the time and respect it deserved. The entries were all of a high calibre and it is heartening so see so much enthusiasm in the industry. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Emerging 50's foundation partner, Media Super. Without the support of this industry superannuation fund, this initiative would not be possible. Special thanks also to industry sponsors Cactus Imaging, Pozitive, Starleaton and Visual Connections. Congratulations to all Emerging 50 nominees on a job well done.

December 2020 ProPrint 5

Alex Riches

Alexander Vij

owner, The Urban Press

production manager, Showcard Mounters

Alex is recognised for applying high standards of artisan finishing to the print work he produces at his full-service agency on Sydney’s northern beaches. He is known for his top-notch customer service skills and clever use of design techniques.

Alexander enjoys using his print and design skills to develop new and innovative material to impress clients. He sees the trend toward digital advertising as print’s biggest threat but believes this can be overcome if the industry continues to expand into new areas.

Andrew Retz

Ashleigh Boyling

apprentice graphic arts, Print Lord

account manager – print, IVE Group

Andrew was nominated by the LIA (SA) and is also recognised for continually proving that he can easily and confidently make jobs print-ready. He is known as someone who can take on any challenge and will get the job done on time, no matter what.

Ashleigh never gives up when it comes to ensuring the customer is satisfied with the product being supplied. She is recognised as being a great role model for others. She is also the Woman Anchor ambassador for mental health advocacy group, Man Anchor.

Benjamin Greatorex

Bradley Fenner

apprentice print machinist, CCL Barossa

print manufacturer, Vanguard Press

Benjamin was nominated by the LIA (SA) and is recognised as being a capable team member who can easily keep up with some of the more experienced and qualified printers. He is now running one of CCL's new Nilpeters and can work with minimal supervision.

Bradley is recognised among his peers and colleagues as being both conscientious and enthusiastic in his work as a print manufacturer at Western Australia’s Vanguard Press, which is a full-service print operation based in Perth.

Chloe Jones

Chloe Rudd

office administration/production, MBE Parramatta

graphic designer, print DNA

Chloe is recognised for being passionate about print. She loves seeing new products on the market and being able to surprise customers - especially those starting new businesses - with some fresh print ideas.

Chloe was nominated by the LIA (SA) and is recognised for having a strong passion for print and great design. She believes the print industry is too hidden and needs to be promoted to the younger demographic. Chloe has also completed a Certificate IV in

Christina Condos

David Pham

account manager, Multi-Color Corporation

operations manager, Mediapoint

This year Christina moved from Labelhouse, where she carved out a successful sales career, to MCC Victoria, with many customers making the move with her. Christina is recognised for having a thirst for knowledge and a love of print.

David is the ‘right-hand man’ of Mediapoint owner Jamie Xuereb. He is recognised for being a superstar of the print industry and someone who can see and understand Mediapoint’s decisions. This has set him up to become a young leader in the business.

6 ProPrint December 2020

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SPONSORED BY

Demi Samaras

Emily Watterson

prepress operator, Multi-Color Corporation

client services manager, Cactus Imaging

Demi began her apprenticeship with James Print in Mildura before transferring to MCC in 2017. She has proven herself to be an outstanding member of the prepress team and was integral in bringing the food and beverage divisions together.

Emily is recognised for her dedicated service to Cactus Imaging over the last 12 months. She is known as being exceptionally motivated and talented with excellent written and verbal communication skills. She is also highly organised and can work independently.

Frankie Abraham

Indigo Philip

supervisor, Visy Industries

junior designer, Designate

Frankie is passionate about his role at Visy Industries where he has worked as a supervisor since finishing his apprenticeship in 2018. He is also involved in training other operators to raise skill levels across the entire team to ensure quality print for customers.

Indigo is recognised for the designs she produces at this corporate brand and communications agency. She puts her skills to use to produce printed annual reports and other documents for large clients including Westpac and the federal government.

Indy Leigh Griffiths

Jacob Williams

graphic designer, Style Communications

printer, Multi-Color Corporation

Indy works as a graphic designer for Style Communications but also has her own business, Barge Creative. She has been nominated for easily understanding client needs and going the extra mile to ensure exceptional results are produced.

Jacob was nominated by the LIA (SA) and is also recognised for his interest in print, his eye for detail and management aspirations. He operates a Gallus TCS press producing high quality short-run wine labels with multiple embellishments.

Jacobena Mills

James Sabolcki

national events manager, Print & Visual Communication Association

graphic designer, BannerSHOP International

Jacobena has managed the PVCA's events for the last two years. COVID-19 forced her to move quickly to bring key physical events into the virtual realm which she succeeded in doing. This included the PICA awards, National Print Awards and Print2Parliament.

James began in the printing industry in 2016 and has been learning ever since as he responds to broad client requests. James also enjoys industrial design for retail spaces and loves nothing more than seeing his creations come to life in public.

Jo Forbes-Salmon

Jonathan Pitt

marketing executive, QLM Label Makers

flexographic press operator, Multi-Color Corporation

Jo is recognised for demonstrating strong leadership skills, despite being at such an early stage of her career. She is passionate about utilising innovative print technology to take customer campaigns into the physical world of product packaging.

Jonathan was nominated by the LIA (SA) and is acknowledged for his great aptitude, sound mechanical knowledge and quick grasp of all tasks that he is trained in. He is a recent apprentice graduate and is now turning his sights to leadership in the industry.

www.sprinter.com.au

December 2020 ProPrint 7

Josiah Fraser

Kalani Holhein

estimator, Foxcil

account manager, Carbon8

Josiah's passion, knowledge and enthusiasm is described as contagious and inspirational. He values being a team player who is committed to customer service. He is also recognised for being able to build strong relationships and his impeccable work ethic.

Kalani started out as a junior designer but quickly rose through the ranks. Despite not having decades of experience, she has proven that positivity, application, an eagerness to learn and a naturally ebullient personality can make up for any lack of experience.

Kelsey Wade

Lani Draheim

apprentice graphic designer, print DNA

business development manager, Rawson Print Co.

Described as having a hunger to learn and a confidence to take on bigger tasks, this graphic design apprentice from Renmark in South Australia is really kicking goals. So far she has learned about machine operation, colour management and finishing.

Lani is recognised for driving cultural change in the sales team in relation to Rawsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s packaging clients. She combines her innate understanding of customer needs with specialist packaging knowledge to improve and redefine the customer journey.

Luke Allen

Luke Michalowsky

wide format production manager, Crystal Media

designer, Creative IND

Luke started out running the digital print division, but has now moved to managing the wide format operation. He has enjoyed the challenge which has included learning how to operate two Epson SureColor printers, the Fujifilm wide format and the ZĂźnd cutter.

This creative was nominated by The Real Media Collective as someone who is completely across all aspects of web development and the establishment of e-commerce sites. He also has experience working in logistics and supply chain.

Maddie Allington

Maddison Krause

designer, Designate

graphic designer, The Leader Newspaper (Angaston SA)

Maddie is recognised for the high-quality design work she produces for this corporate brand and communications agency. She has the ability to utilise a variety of mediums to communicate the individual personality of brands at every interaction.

Maddison was nominated by the LIA (SA) and is recognised for being able to prioritise and get things done when they really need to be done. She asks the right questions and receives constructive criticism well which is essential when working as a designer.

Marilyn Li

Marisa Smyrneos

client services manager, Cactus Imaging

sales executive, Graphic Print Group

Marilyn has so far provided three years of dedicated service at this wide format print specialist. She is described as being exceptionally motivated with excellent written and verbal communication skills, while also being highly organised.

Marisa has worked at this South Australian print business since 2017 where she markets print and works with advertising and design agencies to assist them with the projects they are working on. She is also the South Australian patron for the Women in Print.

8 ProPrint December 2020

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Matthew Volpe

Matthew Zunic

print manufacturer/finisher, Colorcorp

apprentice printer, Imagination Graphics

Matthew finished his apprenticeship last year and is already working as a 2IC at this Brisbane-based business. Matthew was a runner-up in the 2019 Queensland LIA awards. He is recognised for his remarkable efficiency and expertise in printing and finishing.

Matthew is a third-year apprentice who has been identified as a rising star. He joined in 2018 with no knowledge of print but quickly learned how to operate a GTO, Cylinder and Platen. He now runs a new Konica Minolta C14000 AccurioPress and the KM1 B2 inkjet.

Megan Day

Michael Damalas

industrial designer, AFI Branding

factory production supervisor, CMYKhub

Megan is recognised for her contribution to projects for the Commonwealth Games, Brisbane International and ATP Cup Tennis. She is described as someone who enjoys getting her hands dirty with an appetite to grow and learn.

Michael started in the CMYKhub cadet programme in 2017 and was then offered employment as a printer finisher in the digital department. He is a known as someone who gets things done and was made production supervisor in 2020 during COVID-19.

Michael Gonzalez

Nicole Danger

creative, The Real Media Collective

specialty printer, Chapel Press

Michael joined TRMC in 2018 and is recognised for using his relatable and creative design techniques to communicate TRMC's member updates and the campaigns it has carried out for industry during the pandemic.

Nicole worked for a number of years in a different field before choosing to become a printer. Her passion for letterpress print is undeniable and she points to its tactile and three-dimensional aspects as being why it is so appealing.

Rahul Reddy

Rebecca Wright

sales cadet, IVE Group

digital printer, PrintSA

Rahul has been with IVE for the last nine months and is someone who wants to succeed and is prepared to start from ground zero to make this happen. He possesses the brilliant combination of being humble yet determined.

Rebecca was nominated by the both LIA (SA) and Lindsay Miller, the owner of PrintSA. She is a qualified graphic designer, but also has a trade certificate in print machining. She is also a shareholder in the business as she continues to drive it forward with passion.

Rob Sulfaro

Saarah Abdeen

new business development manager, Abbe Corrugated

events and marketing coordinator, IVE Group

Rob was nominated for his enthusiasm for sales and for helping his customers find the best solutions for their businesses. He values working for an Australian family-owned business that offers a great culture and place to work.

Saarah is recognised for her work organising company-wide client events across NSW and Victoria as well as internal events for RU OK? Day, Pride Week and International Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day. She was also involved in the rebranding exercise that was done in 2019.

10 ProPrint December 2020

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Sam Chircop

Samantha Mulraney

business development executive, IVE Group

designer, W-Studio

Sam joined IVE one year ago with no industry experience but his business development resume, understanding of the road ahead and work ethic have ensured his success. He is recognised for his down to earth attitude and willingness to explore new situations.

Samantha has been nominated for her wealth of knowledge in print, product and digital design. She is described as diligent, attentive and proactive when considering design concepts and briefs, while remaining within the boundaries of branding and time frames.

Siggi Oliger

Talinta Clarke

director, MBE Fremantle

apprentice printer, Pegasus Print Group

Siggi has been identified as a rising star of the MBE network for his commitment and enthusiasm for his franchise in Western Australia. He has only been operating this outlet for four months but has already proven he is up to the task.

Talinta's competency on a range of press equipment including a Mark Andy 7 colour label press, as well as the Rotoflex and Arpeco rewinders, ensured her nomination. She has an excellent eye for detail and applies herself thoroughly to her studies.

Teagan Nourse

Tyler-Jay Schmidt

apprentice graphic artist & digital printer, Tri State Graphics

print manufacturer, Go Transit Media Group

Teagan was nominated by the LIA (SA) and is recognised for her motivation and passion for graphic design and digital printing. She is well respected by her peers and her developed graphic design skills enable Tri State to produce products of high standards.

Tyler-Jay has a deep enthusiasm for print which remains undiminished despite tough COVID-19 operating conditions. He operates two HP latex presses to produce bus signage and car wraps and also enjoys passing on his skills and knowledge to help others.

Yianni Moratidis

Zade Thompson

managing director, GENR8 Printing

graphic pre-press operator, Barrier Daily Truth

Yianni has a background in entertainment and is a relative newcomer to print. He shares his thoughts on the industry and how it should promote itself, as well as experiments he does on his new HP latex printer, regularly on social media keeping many entertained.

Zade was nominated by the LIA (SA) and is recognised as having a work ethic beyond question. He regularly goes above and beyond his normal duties to provide input for solutions and alternative ways of doing things that may help the workplace.

Zafana Haq

Zoe Smith

project manager - print, IVE Group

graphic artist, ZipPrint Darwin

Zafana is recognised for her willingness to meet new challenges every day. She loves to multitask and is described as being so comfortable with IT that it seems as though it is in her DNA. She is relatively new to the industry but is showing great confidence.

Zoe was nominated by the LIA (SA) and is also recognised as a highly capable graphic designer. She can handle anything from a simple file conversion to a complete branding solution with ease. She also handles prepress for both digital and offset printing.

12 ProPrint December 2020

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Visual Connections leads the way in supporting a sustainable future for the print, sign, display, label and packaging sector by providing direction and inspiration, creating innovative and progressive expos and initiatives, sharing knowledge and insight, supporting training and education, and fostering positive connections. 2020 has presented challenges none of us could have anticipated, but with innovation, collaboration and tenacity we have delivered on our mandate to provide genuine value to our members and the wider industry.

Here are a few of the key achievements of your supplier association over the past year: • World-first Virtual industry expo – 13,500+ visitors, 1000s of enquiries and 100s of sales at the Print, Sign, Display & Graphics Virtual Trade Show. • $400,000+ in sponsorships and support – supporting industry initiatives, new talent, the recognition of excellence, and our fellow associations. • Investment in training & talent – connecting with young people, providing career pathways and contributing to vocational training. • Bushfire & COVID support initiatives – online resources and supplier offers made available in challenging times • Industry leadership & promotion – lending our weight to lobbying, representation, advocacy and promotional initiatives for the future of our industry • Data and knowledge – providing expert input to government and industry Boards, and gathering vital survey data for the future of the sign & graphics sector.

ACHIEVEMENTS 2020

WORLD FIRST

13,500+ VISITS

ONLINE TRADE SHOW

25+

EXHIBITORS

$400,000+ SPONSORSHIPS AND SUPPORT

INVESTMENT IN

TRAINING & TALENT INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP & PROMOTION www.visualconnections.org.au

Apprentice graphic designer from regional SA wins first ever mentorship prize Kelsey Wade, a third-year graphic design apprentice from print DNA, has won the inaugural ProPrint Emerging 50 Mentorship Prize which will be provided in partnership with The Real Media Collective.

fter being flooded with top quality entries, the inaugural ProPrint Emerging 50 mentorship prize winner has been announced with Kelsey Wade, a third-year apprentice at print DNA in South Australia's Renmark, declared the winner. To enter for the 12-month mentorship prize, each Emerging 50 nominee was invited to submit an application. Within their application they were required to answer three questions regarding the key issues currently facing the printing industry, what they believe are the makings of a good leader and what makes them most excited about the printing industry. They were also asked to supply a written reference from a supervisor or colleague to vouch for their eligibility. In all 32 high-quality applications were received and a panel of industry judges gave up their valuable time to carefully read each one. In the end Kelsey was found to be the winner. Her thorough application and insightful answers about the industry and leadership proved popular with all the judges. In her application, Kelsey nominated the printing industry’s need to adapt to the changing global market so it can rise to the challenge of the digital world as the biggest issue facing the sector. She said the answer to this centres around innovation through product personalisation and an increased use of specialty finishing with metallics, foils and other tactile effects. Environmental sustainability is also a key concern and Kelsey believes that finding costeffective ways to make print more sustainable is the only way forward. In terms of leadership, Kelsey believes a good leader is not characterised by authority, but more by having an ability to demonstrate guidance, resourcefulness and understanding to form positive relationships in an inclusive solution-driven workplace. In her application she quoted philosopher Isaac Newton who said “he had seen farther by standing on the shoulders of giants” as proof that improvement comes from learning from the guiding figures that have come before. “This phrase is especially poignant in

14 ProPrint December 2020

print DNA third-year graphic design apprentice Kelsey Wade is the inaugural winner of the 2020 Emerging 50 Mentorship Prize

The Real Media Collective CEO Kellie Northwood has over 20 years industry of experience and is all set to share her knowledge

understanding how we as individuals can be leaders well above and beyond what is in front of us, but in also inspiring others in times to come,” Kelsey said. It is clear from her application that Kelsey is captivated by the power of print. She notes it requires high levels of skill to turn an initial conversation with a client into a well designed finished product that achieves what it was designed to do. “The whole process is a fine craft that takes a lot of personal expression and skill to produce something that businesses can use, and people can engage with,” Kelsey wrote. “There is a great satisfaction in working with clients on what my employer often phrases as ‘a journey’ to achieving a unique, practical and valuable product.” Kelsey will spend the next 12 months receiving mentorship guidance from The Real Media Collective CEO Kellie Northwood. Kellie is a 20-year printing industry veteran who has been at the helm of this industry association for the last four years. She has also done a post-graduate degree in sustainability which will further enhance this mentorship experience. "I am really looking forward to working with Kelsey and whole-heartedly congratulate her on her success. This was a very tough competition with many amazing submissions,

congratulations to all the entrants and especially to Kelsey for the winning submission," Kellie said. The mentorship programme includes monthly catchups with Kellie and opportunities for Kelsey to visit other print sites to gain a broader perspective of the industry. It is hoped this experience will give Kelsey insights into all facets of print from the creative process, right through to how a print project is completed to distribution. The programme is designed to give those rising through the ranks an understanding of how they fit into the bigger picture of print. It is also about showing the next generation of print leaders where the industry could take them and what career paths they may follow that differ from the current one they are on. Kelsey was nominated for the Emerging 50 by the Lithographic Institute of Australia in South Australia. Her employer, Ian Andrews, said Kelsey has made a huge impact at his business. “Never before have we had an apprentice with such hunger to learn and such confidence and willingness to take on challenges,” he said. “Also, her adaptability to learn machine operation, colour management and finishing. Kelsey is the complete package. Her sense of humour and the way she puts herself forward makes her a true emerging leader.”

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JOIN THE REAL MEDIA COLLECTIVE BE PART OF AN INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP + ADVOCACY

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

COMMUNITY SUCCESS

Kellie Northwood CEO

Charles Watson GM - IR, Policy + Governance

Members. The Real Media Collective

SUCCESSFUL GOVERNMENT LOBBYING. Successful delay to 2024 for the ban on exported paper waste for all Australian businesses via the COAG Waste Export Ban Consultation.

93% SOLD OUT ‘REBUILD TOGETHER WEBINAR SERIES’. Over 23,000 registrations, attendees, downloads, shares, views and engagements across the industry, as we united in our recovery.

MAIL PRODUCTS. Across Print Post and Charity Mail delivering much-needed support to our mail-house, print and publisher members during the initial COVID-19 lockdown period.

LAUNCH ‘BUY LOCAL’ CAMPAIGN. Commenced negotiations to ensure government departments must ensure Australian made in the procurement evaluation.

THE REAL MEDIA AWARDS GROW. With 684 entries and 614 attendees at the awards event in Melbourne 2019. 33% increase in funding to invest in research, the 2019 Real Media Awards was a success for all of industry.

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COVID-19: collaboration and camaraderie The team at Starleaton have worked collaboratively, internally and externally, to survive the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This has prepared the business to undertake a series of major announcements in 2021.

tarleaton CEO Ben Eaton saw the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier than most of us in Australia. Travelling to Germany with his wife Ines in February to visit her family, he noticed something was not quite right. “I was one of the lucky ones that managed to head overseas in February prior to the borders closing and while travelling through Singapore and Germany it became abundantly clear that something significant was happening – particularly no flights were coming in or out of China,” he said. After returning during the week of the Australian Grand Prix, which soon after was cancelled, Ben sat down with his fellow directors of the business – his brother Josh and sister Melissa to develop an urgent survival strategy. “We quickly realised we needed to all hold hands together with the other members of the business and take a courageous jump into what was then the unknown because we knew that we were facing uncertainty for at least the next six months of the year,” he said. As delayed mortgage repayments and tax support initiatives were unveiled, the company refined how they were going to be able to navigate through the tumultuous times. “We as directors unanimously decided that we would work through this together and make a commitment to deliver regular communication to our internal and external associates at all levels while also sharing the load with the business to ensure the future prosperity of the company. “I am pleased to say that while we have lost a couple of staff through natural attrition, we have not had to make anyone redundant from the business during the COVID months. “From state to state there has been so much

16 ProPrint December 2020

Looking beyond COVID-19 towards 2021: (L-R) John Buitenkamp, Josh Eaton and Ben Eaton of Starleaton

variation in how you manage the business – with Western Australia getting back to normal so quickly compared to Victoria that remained in lockdown for so long – that in itself created some additional layers of complication and managing the emotional barometer of staff has been a learning in itself. “As a result, we would not be going into 2021 so confidently planning new projects and initiatives without the incredible support from the entire team as well as from our vendor partners.”

An industry to be proud of

Unlike manufacturers, a distributor company like Starleaton does not have a business if there is no product to sell. “The big challenge for any distributor in Australia is the distance from its supply source. For Starleaton, with most of our suppliers based in Europe and Japan, this further highlighted the supply chain challenge. One of the most important elements of our business in 2020 has been the support from our vendors who have ensured that our access to product on the ground to deliver a consistent climb out of the COVID-19 cloud," he said. “The whole industry should be congratulated

as a group for operating with a spirit of camaraderie rather than selfishly just about survival. Everyone experienced a challenging 2019 for many different reasons from drought, to bushfires as well as the federal election – and that was before COVID-19 came along. “And over the last few months we have had to contend with border closures, staff and customers not being able to move around as well as the airline restrictions making engineering support and even relationship building almost impossible. “So it has been incredibly heartening to be able to pick up the phone and speak with competitors across the country and ask for help in the interest of keeping the customer in operation. I have not experienced a second thought from one of my friendly competitors when asked to assist with a problem. This has also meant sharing consumables resources in some instances without any concern for predatory behaviour.”

Supporting businesses of all sizes

Ben acknowledges some printers are continuing to find business challenging, and the last thing the printing industry needs moving forward is a wave of businesses to go

www.sprinter.com.au

Agile and diversified: As an Australian family-owned business it took the whole Starleaton team to ensure post-COVID success (Pictured: A small part of the Starleaton team in NSW)

broke particularly with an increasing focus on credit insurance and lending. “As a supplier, it is important to be able to support underperforming businesses and focus on their positives so they can change some of their behaviour and emerge as stronger businesses on the other side. “My advice to printers who may be struggling is to put their hand up and don’t be afraid. Every business goes through cycles of financial challenges and anyone that says they don’t are not being honest. There are lots of avenues available, and part of my job as a board member of Visual Connections is to help companies work through the issues they have been facing with COVID. People underestimate the support that is available not only from Visual Connections, but also from government, small business commissioners in every state and that related support network as well as local business council and chambers in your municipalities where you can ask to speak to somebody. It is also important that people who look at our industry from the outside don’t use a broad brush approach and unintentionally tarnish a number of good business.”

new business or even cease business with current vendors. One of the benefits we have is that we are incredibly agile and diversified. We do not need to report to an overseas head office and we have the ability to make calls and move very quickly. As a result of COVID-19, we have not wasted the crisis and it has allowed us to develop a clear plan for the next two years. “It is easy to talk about 2021 being about doom and gloom, but my advice is for the industry to focus on specific parts of their business where they can be profitable and add value for the next 12 months. This will ensure

they are professionally in a better place and they will be able to develop a more reliable business for their customers. Ultimately this will mean a better overall experience for their customers. This is a wonderful industry we operate in, full of cutting-edge technology and innovation which means opportunity. I have been at Starleaton for 22 years now, and while it is only industry I have known and I am incredibly passionate about its future. I believe we should all embrace what 2021 will bring us – there is so much more we can all do to be successful and we're here to support you.”

Strategies to achieve great things

There is no doubt that a lot of companies in the industry have been forced to refocus as a result of reduced revenues. “We have had to look at projects initially planned for early in 2020 and delay these until early 2021. We have also had to look at the number of partners we represent and whether we need to find other avenues to work with

www.sprinter.com.au

Starleaton CEO Ben Eaton says the industry showed great support and camaraderie during COVID-19

December 2020 ProPrint 17

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