Issuu

SEPTEMBER 2026

LEADING THE INDUSTRY FOR OVER 70 YEARS IN PRINT | SPRINTER.COM.AU

Driving growth through hybrid production and workflow automation from

PRINECT

People in Print: Buckner Brand Management

Norwood Industries invests in Durst P5 350

Women in Print: Melanie Rachwal

IVE Group inaugurates Kemps Creek facility

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R U O OF W S E N NT E I L C E M CO M . S O FR RRAL E F RE

% % 0 1 I’ve had a chance to open the boxes and I’m absolutely thrilled with the quality. The print colour, detail and finish are all beautiful, and the textured stock looks fantastic. Thank you for all your help throughout the process. It’s been a pleasure working with you. Amanda 3/7/26

2 Thanks Hero Print for the incredible business cards and fliers. Love the raised holographic foil. Also the long edge printing services and die cut services are excellent too, items that are not available everywhere. Great value and fast service.

3 Thank you & your team so very much for your help with this job. The progress tracker and your efficiency has been excellent.

4 Everyone was happy with the finished job. I was impressed with both communication, speed and price.

I couldn’t be happier.

The product was delivered to the client yesterday afternoon, very happy!

I appreciate all efforts made to get this job sorted out under a tight deadline. Well done to you and your team.

Alayna 27/5/26

Thank you again!

Cayne 17/6/25

Stacey 14/5/26

AUSTRALIA’S BEST TRADE PRINTER

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2026

16-18 COVER STORY: HEIDELBERG DRIVES GROWTH THROUGH HYBRID PRODUCTION AND WORKFLOW AUTOMATION

32-36 KEMPS CREEK: IVE GROUP’S WESTERN SYDNEY SUPERSITE DELIVERS LONG-TERM INVESTMENT IN PRINT

NEWS: Australian Printer’s comprehensive industry news

PEOPLE IN PRINT: Buckner Brand Management

WOMEN IN PRINT: Melanie Rachwal

COVER STORY: Driving growth through hybrid production and workflow automation from Heidelberg

CASE STUDY: Norwood Industries secures growth with Durst

TRAINING: Ricoh Australia gives apprentices a closer view of print’s vibrant future

INNOVATION: Automation takes centre stage at XMPie Australian Innovation Day

KEMPS CREEK: IVE Group’s Western Sydney supersite delivers long-term investment in print

KEMPS CREEK: IVE doubles down with two more Koenig & Bauer presses in Sydney

KEMPS CREEK: IVE installs Bobst Nova Cut die-cutter at Kemps Creek

AWARDS: LIA Victoria names 2026 Graduate of the Year Award winners at CMYKhub

OPINION: What are the four hidden layers of the print marketing iceberg?

PRINT DIARY: All the upcoming events

CLASSIFIEDS: The Australian print industry’s biggest marketplace

Advertiser’s Index To advertise call Carmen on 0410 582 450 or carmen@proprint.com.au ABC Copier Solutions...........43 Admag....................................44 Allkotes..................................... 4 Bobst ......................................37 Bottcher Australia..................42 Centre State Printing.............47 Cyber (Aust).......................OBC D&D Mailing Services.......... 15 Dockets and Forms Australia..46 Durst Oceania ......................23 Heidelberg Australia................. ............................... OFC, 16-19 Hero Print..............................2,3 HP.............................................. 5 Inkifingus................................43

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JTS Engineering.....................43 Koenig & Bauer ....................35 Marvel Bookbinding & Print Finishing................... IBC Maxpax.ai.............................50 Muller Martini Australia ...... 41 National Auctions.................50 Nichols Printing.....................46 Periodical Press.....................43 Precision Group.....................45 Printrade.................................49 Screen GP Australia................ 7 Stick On Signs....................... 11 XPS Group.............................48 Ziggi’s Print & Signs..............46

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NEWS

IVE advances $1.2B+ 2030 strategy amid tough market

As we move towards the final stretch of 2026, this issue celebrates the people, technology, and innovation shaping the future of the Australian print industry. In our cover story, Heidelberg looks to the ■Truepressロゴ【ポジ版】 future of commercial print, （型式・シリーズ名） where hybrid technology and automation are becoming IVE Group managing director Matt Aitken critical in helping businesses improve efficiency, flexibility, and competitiveness. IVE Group recently released its FY26 results, IVE Group’s 105ive celebrations mark an saying it is continuing to successfully execute incredible milestone for one of its planned strategy to achieve $1.2 billion Australia’s leading print and to $1.3 billion by 2030 with “a solid fullcommunications businesses, year result in line with guidance in a difficult highlighting its growth and macroeconomic environment”. commitment to the industry. We also visit Norwood IVE reported full year FY26 revenue of $937.4 Industries, which recently million, down 1.8 per cent from $954.8 million invested in a Durst P5 350 – in the previous corresponding period (including a decision driven by its quality, productivity, and flexibility, acquisition revenue during the year). as well as the company’s confidence in Durst’s tech. Its material gross profit margin of 51.4 per Together, these stories cent was up from 49.3 per cent in the previous demonstrate an industry that corresponding period; underlying operating continues to evolve, invest, cash conversion remained strong at 93.6 and embrace new opportunities per cent compared with 101.9 per cent in while staying focused on the previous corresponding period; and net delivering value to customers. debt was reported at $173.2 million, up from We hope you enjoy the read.

$114.4 million at 30 June 2025 (unchanged from 31 December 2025), reflecting acquisition funding coupled with capital expenditure associated with the packaging capacity build-out and new site fit outs. Its IFRS NPAT declined to $37.4 million from $46.7 million in the previous corresponding period, which it said reflects an increase in non-operating items primarily associated with the Dandenong South and Kemps Creek site relocations. IVE Group attributed its revenue softness in part to current macroeconomic conditions which impacted the retail and media sectors, particularly IVE’s catalogue and publishing business. Commenting on IVE Group’s FY26 performance, its managing director Matt Aitken said, “IVE delivered on guidance with a solid full-year performance underpinned by continued margin resilience, despite an increasingly difficult economic landscape. “Over the past year the group has made good progress against our 2030 strategy including the move to the new Dandenong 3PL site, the relocation of five business units to the Kemps Creek supersite and a number of scale enhancing and/or strategic acquisitions together which provide additional opportunities for operational efficiencies and long-term revenue growth.”

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Given the continued significant economic uncertainty and subject to any strategic initiatives executed as part of the 2030 strategy, IVE Group said its underlying NPAT on a pre-AASB 16 basis for FY27 is expected “to be broadly stable along with a large reduction in nonoperating items”.

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IVE’s reported new client wins in FY26 include AGL, Arnott’s, Bunnings, Campari, Direct Electronics, Dominos, Hello Fresh, Maxi-safe, Mirvac, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Ready Express, Stuart Alexander, Subway, and Sydney Airport.

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Managing Director James Wells / 0414 995 104 james@intermedia.com.au

Editor Hafizah Osman / 0431 466 140 hosman@intermedia.com.au

National Sales & Partnerships Manager Carmen Ciappara / 0410 582 450 carmen@proprint.com.au

Subscriptions / (02) 9660 2113 subscriptions@intermedia.com.au Subscription rate (5 issues) Australia $79

Printed by Hero Print Alexandria, NSW, 2015

Mailed by D&D Mailing Services Wetherill Park, NSW, 2164

Design and Production Manager Sarah Vella / 0406 967 559 svella@intermedia.com.au

Australian Printer is published bi-monthly by Printer Media Group (a division of Charted Media Group and The Intermedia Group). 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.

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DISCLAIMER This publication is published by The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd (the “Publisher”). Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication does not indicate the Publisher’s endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Publisher, its agents, company officers or employees. Any use of the information contained in this publication is at the sole risk of the person using that information. The user should make independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information before relying on that information. All express or implied terms, conditions, warranties, statements, assurances and representations in relation to the Publisher, its publications and its services are expressly excluded save for those conditions and warranties which must be implied under the laws of any State of Australia or the provisions of Division 2 of Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof. To the extent permitted by law, the Publisher will not be liable for any damages including special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of any kind arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damages. While we use our best endeavours to ensure accuracy of the materials we create, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that may appear in this publication. Copyright © 2026 — Charted Media Group Pty Ltd

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NEWS businesses need to maximise profitability while meeting evolving client demands.

Xerox confirms first Australian production printing machine Xerox has confirmed it will launch the Xerox PrimeLink C9200 Series printers as the first in its new production printing portfolio. The announcement comes as Xerox confirms it will return to the Australian and New Zealand production printing market in early 2027. In an exclusive interview with Australian Printer, Xerox president of production printing EMEA, APAC, and LATAM, Hubert Soviche said the three colour toner models of the PrimeLink C9200 Series will be launched in Australia in the first quarter of 2027. The Xerox PrimeLink C9265/C9275/ C9281 combines Xerox high-end production capabilities, a space-saving design, and automated production workflows high-end production capabilities, a compact footprint, and intelligent workflow automation to help print service providers and in-house print operations produce exceptional results efficiently and cost-effectively.

“We are number one because we deliver automation and productivity to assist businesses from pre-press through to finishing delivering the most savings and removing bottlenecks from the production process,” Soviche said.

Xerox president of production printing EMEA, APAC, and LATAM, Hubert Soviche

“The PrimeLink C9200 Series sits within the EPC or Entry Production Colour category worth US$2.6 billion globally. PrimeLink is one of our most successful platforms and in conjunction with our partners we have 38 per cent global market share in this category,” Soviche said. Delivering speeds of up to 81 ppm, the series features outstanding image quality, colour accuracy, and fine-line detail across an extensive range of media. Integrated with Xerox’s end-to-end production print ecosystem – including FreeFlow workflow automation, XMPie customer communications software, Predictive AI capabilities, and a choice of Xerox or Fiery print servers – the PrimeLink C9200 Series provides the versatility, automation, and productivity

Additional Xerox production presses we intend to bring to market include the Xerox Proficio PX300/PX500 Colour Presses, designed to help commercial printers and in-plant operations produce exceptional colour output with greater productivity, automation, and application versatility. The Xerox Iridesse Production Press is a premium digital production press that combines exceptional image quality, automation, and up to six-colour printing in a single pass, enabling applications with specialty embellishments such as metallic, white, clear, and fluorescent pink. “We want to bring a strong value proposition to the market and reduce production times from days and hours to minutes. This helps printers to attract better talent to their businesses as we are improving productivity through hardware and software using artificial intelligence, machine learning and augmented reality,” Soviche said.

Pozitive purchases Melbourne premises to support growth Pozitive sign and graphic supplies has purchased its own premises for the first time in Melbourne to service a growing customer base. Pozitive sign and graphic supplies director Phil Trumble said the decision to move from rented premises and purchase a building represents the next stage of the business. “Our Melbourne business is growing every year, and we recognised it is now time for us to purchase our own premises and cement our presence in the market,” Trumble said. “We have been renting premises in Burwood, but our newly constructed building in Cheltenham that we own will provide us with 300 square metres which is twice the space. “When we move in, the new premises will provide us with a larger showroom

8 | AUSTRALIAN PRINTER SEPTEMBER 2026

The new Pozitive site in Cheltenham will provide the company with 300 square metres of space – twice that of its current site

to hold more live demonstrations and the ability to hold more stock for our clients to provide fast pick-up and delivery for ink, rolls of material, spare parts, and dye sublimation paper. “We are not planning to immediately replicate our premises at Emu Plains in Sydney at this stage, but it will complement what we do in New South Wales. “In 2018, we made our first move into the Melbourne market after previously servicing the state from our head office in New South Wales. “We started with a BDM and shortly afterwards appointed a service technician. Since then, the Melbourne team has

grown, and we now have two sales staff and two service technicians. “We are now in the market for another service technician in Victoria which will support our future growth and assist our valued customers.” Pozitive has been at its Melbourne site for four years, where it has held several open houses including one that celebrated Summa technology applications. Pozitive represents several brands in the Australian market including swissQprint, Summa, DGI, and Felix Gluer, and is a sales and service agent for Epson, Mutoh, Roland DG, and Mimaki.

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NEWS

Glenn Conyers and Mariano Imbrioscia join Durst Oceania Highly-experienced industry professional Mariano Imbrioscia and former Fujifilm wide format manager Glenn Conyers have joined Durst Oceania. In his first role in a supplier business after over 30 years in print production, Imbrioscia is the new customer relations manager, while Conyers has been appointed as sales manager responsible for Vanguard Digital Printing Systems. Imbrioscia said he is very excited to join Durst – a company he has worked with very closely from the printing side of the industry for many years. “I know Durst, I understand Durst and I love Durst. I have worked with all of the sales and service team members for many years – particularly during my time at Vivad, with Ewen Donaldson, who has five Durst machines operating in his business,” Imbrioscia said. Ashman said Imbrioscia’s knowledge and experience are second to none, adding that having such a highly experienced person in the business to support customers is invaluable. “Durst Oceania is seven years old this year and we have seen such amazing growth, thanks to our customers in Oceania, and Mariano is part of our team expansion plan to better deliver great service and support,” he said.

Starleaton gets a new home The revived Starleaton business, which re-commenced trading as Starleaton Pty Ltd in 2025 using the same website and branding of the business that was placed into liquidation, recently announced its latest move. Starleaton had been operating from 7 Cleg Street, Artarmon, NSW 2064, but its new home is now at Unit 4, 26 Williams Street, Brookvale NSW 2100. All warehouse pickups have begun from the new warehouse as of 19 August. Customers of Starleaton have been advised to update their records with the

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(l-r) Glenn Conyers, Mariano Imbrioscia and Matt Ashman from Durst Oceania

Imbrioscia started working in a prepress and scanning role in 1994 and was trained at Omnigraphics in South Africa in 1997 to what was his road to opening Omnigraphics Argentina shortly after. In this time, he embarked on further training at Prismaflex in Canada and Brazil as well. Imbrioscia worked as production manager at Omnigraphics in Melbourne from 2022 to 2015 before joining Billboard Media for a year, then moving on to Vivad. After almost nine years with Vivad in various roles, Imbrioscia joined Boom Studios in late 2025 as production manager. As for Conyers, he is looking forward to promoting and increasing the awareness of the Vanguard portfolio of products in A/NZ.

new address, with the company adding that the same phone number and website will remain as per before. Starleaton also recently announced the celebration of its first-year anniversary since being ‘reborn’. The ability to effectively ‘re-start’ Starleaton in 2025 came from the ownership of the Starleaton brand, company name, and intellectual property that was always owned by the person who started the business – Peter Eaton – father of Ben Eaton, Melissa Spooner (nee Eaton) and Josh Eaton – through his vehicle Starleaton Pty Ltd. The business that went into administration, was saved with a last-minute Deed of Company Arrangement (DOCA) and then

“It is very exciting to be able to bring such a great product that is delivering true innovation and technological improvements to this market segment,” he said. “With such a significant install base for Vanguard hardware in the Oceania region, it is clear that local printers are no longer satisfied with incumbent solutions in the market that have not kept up with the current market requirements. “Vanguard is perfectly positioned to grow within the broader Durst Oceania business that has developed such a strong presence in the market with a strong team to support the business. Conyers has recently returned from a visit to the Vanguard head office in the US to complete further training and research the features and benefits of the products for customers.

placed into liquidation, was Starleaton Holdings Pty Ltd and SDS Bidco that was owned by the three siblings with the brand effectively ‘licensed’ to the business by Peter Eaton. Following the resurgence of the business, Starleaton launched a new website in October 2025. Australian Printer recently reported that due to ongoing increases in fuel levies and rising costs across all Starleaton’s freight forwarders, the company advised another adjustment to its freight charges from 15 June. This follows news in February this year where the company first announced an adjustment to its freight charges.

AUSTRALIAN PRINTER SEPTEMBER 2026 | 9

NEWS

Bob Carr joins Australian Museum of Printing celebration in Penrith

John Thomas (print industry veteran), Marj and Graham Elphick (Museum foundation members), and Bob Hart (print industry veteran)

Bob Carr (former NSW Premier), Bob Lockley (Australian Museum of Printing) and James Cryer (JDA Print Recruitment) at the ceremony

Councillor Todd Carney (Mayor of Penrith), Tash Greentree (CEO Penrith Paceway), Bob and Anita Lockley (Australian Museum of Printing), and Karen McKeown (NSW State Member for Penrith)

John Berry (Australian Museum of Printing volunteer) demonstrates how an Intertype machine works

SW’s longest-serving premier Bob Carr was recently welcomed to a special ceremony at the Australian Museum of Printing, celebrating its new name and 25th anniversary. The museum is at Penrith and for 25 years, had been known as the Penrith Museum of Printing. However, it was recently changed to the Australian Museum of Printing following a vote by a group of industry executives and museum members who felt it needed a name that would reflect its housing of significant historical items and its hosting of several tours and community events. JDA Print Recruitment owner James Cryer welcomed Carr to the ceremony saying, “I would like to extend a special welcome to the Hon Bob Carr, who you may recall as our longest-serving premier… In some mysterious ways, however, Bob has a strong connection with print – first, he started life as a cub-reporter at The Bulletin and secondly, his late wife, Helena, owned a printing company – Merritt Madden in Waterloo, Sydney – which

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some of you will remember. So welcome, Bob – back to where you belong!” Cryer added the day was to celebrate three milestones in all – the 25th anniversary of the museum, the new name, and the acquisition of the historic Walkley Award photos which are “national treasures”. “Today, we honour a quarter-century of preserving the craft and the heritage of print and its impact on society. We also look to the future, as we officially announce our new name, which better reflects our evolving role as an institution of national significance,” Cryer said. Following Cryer’s speech, the museum’s president Bob Lockley said, “Today we gather to celebrate a quarter-century of preservation, dedication, and craft. This milestone represents more than just a significant anniversary; it marks the official unveiling of our new national identity. “Looking out at this room, I see the perfect alignment of leadership. We have government representatives who shape our communities, alongside industry executives who drive the future of media

and communication. Your presence today underscores the enduring importance of our shared graphic arts heritage.” Lockley continued, thanking many people and organisations for the role they’ve played in supporting the museum. These included the Penrith Paceway which has hosted the museum for 25 years, “…providing a secure home for our extensive collection”. He also thanked the museum’s founder Alan Connell and industry leaders, plus corporate sponsors including IVE, Durst Oceania, The Lamson Group, Böttcher Systems, Graph-Pak, Finsbury Green, and Cactus Imaging. Lockley thanked Carr for attending the ceremony, as well as the industry media, the numerous volunteers who have helped over the years, and Life Member Graham Elphick. Lockley said, “As we officially embrace our identity as the Australian Museum of Printing, we look confidently toward the next 25 years. We remain committed to expanding our educational outreach, supporting creative arts, and serving as a national custodian of human communication”.

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PEOPLE IN PRINT

Buckner Brand Management celebrates 100 years of business and excellence Starting out as a five-person letterpress printing business, Buckner Brand Management has transformed into a national company delivering a wide range of products and solutions companies. His commitment to investing in technology and capability drove the company’s growth throughout Queensland and into interstate markets. For Malcolm, the lesson from his father, David, was simple. “Dad respected the trade, but he was always looking forward. Every major investment was about making sure the business would be stronger tomorrow than it was today,” he said. The hardest decision (l-r) Stephen Gell, James Buckner, Malcolm Buckner, and Rosalyn Dunn outside Buckner Printing’s original premises in Brisbane, where Edward Buckner established the business in 1926

hen Buckner Brand Management chairman Malcolm Buckner reflected on his family’s century in business, he didn’t begin by talking about printing presses, technology, or milestones. Instead, he spoke about stewardship. “A family business is never really yours,” he said. “You are simply looking after it for the next generation. Our responsibility has always been to leave it stronger than we found it.” This is a philosophy that has guided Buckner Brand Management since Edward Buckner established Buckner Printing in Brisbane in 1926. What began as a five-person letterpress printing business has now evolved into a national company delivering integrated print, brand management, procurement, warehousing and technology solutions across Australia and internationally. The products have changed over the past century, but the philosophy hasn’t – every generation has recognised that remaining successful means changing before change becomes unavoidable. A woman kept the business alive Only eight years after the business was established, tragedy struck. Edward died in April 1934 from lead poisoning, an occupational hazard faced by many printers who worked daily with lead type. The business could have easily ended there.

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Instead, ownership passed on to his wife Jane Buckner, who made the decision to continue at a time when very few women led manufacturing businesses. Jane guided the company through the Great Depression and the Second World War, preserving not only her husband’s business but the opportunity for future generations to build upon it. For Malcolm, Jane’s contribution remains the defining chapter in Buckner Brand Management’s history. “People often talk about the business reaching 100 years,” Malcolm said. “For me, the story is really about my nan. If she hadn’t made the decision to keep the business going after my grandfather died, none of us would be here talking about a centenary today.” Jane endured unimaginable personal loss, including the death of her daughter Eunice in 1935 from Brights Disease and, a decade later, her eldest son, flight sergeant Bennie Edward Buckner, during the Second World War. Yet, she continued to lead both her family and the business until her son David Buckner completed his apprenticeship and was ready to continue the company’s journey. David began his apprenticeship at 14 years of age and like many printers of his generation, he learned every aspect of the trade before taking responsibility for the business. Over the following four decades, David transformed the business into one of Queensland’s leading commercial printing

Malcolm first worked in the business during school holidays before joining full-time in 1976. He became managing director in 1989. During his leadership, the company diversified beyond commercial printing into print management, labels, signage, merchandise, apparel, technology, and procurement services. The company also invested early in digital ordering platforms, recognising that customers increasingly wanted integrated solutions rather than simply printed products. Along the way, Buckner Printing established, acquired, and – when the time was right – divested complementary businesses, including Buckner Labels, Smartcomm, Fuse IT, and the QPrint digital printing operation. Each decision reflected the company’s commitment to evolve and remain focused on where it could create the greatest value for customers. In 1996, it restructured under the corporate name The Buckner Group, consisting of Buckner Labels, Buckner Printing, and Buckner Print Management. By the early 2010s, another shift was becoming impossible to ignore. Print volumes were changing, customer expectations were evolving, and the industry itself was becoming increasingly dominated by one major national player. The hardest decision of Malcolm’s career followed. “Walking away from manufacturing was the hardest decision we ever made,” he said. “Printing had defined us for generations. But we realised that our customers were asking us to solve much broader business challenges, with print

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PEOPLE IN PRINT remaining an important part of a much larger solution.” In 2013, The Buckner Group transitioned from manufacturing to brand management. Rather than producing everything internally, the business focused on understanding customer needs, managing procurement, technology, and supply chains, while developing a carefully selected network of trusted production partners. It proved to be one of the defining decisions in the company’s history. “We define ourselves by the problems we solve for our customers. Customer needs change, technology changes and markets change. If you wait too long to respond, you are already behind. We have always believed you have to stay in front,” Malcolm said. Leadership beyond the family When Malcolm stepped into the role of chairman in 2007, he appointed Stephen Gell as CEO. Gell had joined Buckner Printing in 1984 as an apprentice graphic reproductionist. More than two decades later, he became the company’s first non-family CEO, reflecting a culture that has always valued commitment and capability over job titles. “When I joined Buckner Printing, I never imagined I would one day lead the business. That reflects the opportunities the business has always provided for people who are prepared to learn, contribute, and grow,” Gell said.

Buckner Printing staff with Edward Buckner in 1926

Under Gell’s leadership, the company accelerated its transformation into a national brand management company, expanding its capabilities through investment in digital procurement, warehousing, fulfilment, and business technology. Today, Buckner Brand Management supports customers across Australia and internationally through a trusted network of production and sourcing partners, simplifying procurement, strengthening brands, and delivering consistent outcomes.

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The evolution was formally recognised in 2023 when The Buckner Group rebranded to Buckner Brand Management, reflecting the breadth of services it now provides. Preparing for the next chapter

Edward Buckner established Buckner Printing in Brisbane in 1926

David Buckner (Malcolm Buckner’s father) took The Buckner Group to new heights

Malcolm believes that story reflects something much broader about Buckner Brand Management’s history. “Our success has never been built by one person or one family. It has always been built by people who believed in the business and helped shape it over many years. Stephen Gell, Stan Curtis, Laurie Smith, Roger Sheedy, Peter Irwin, Julie Walker, Bruce Manderson, Damien Hunt, Brad Clout, and Rosalyn Dunn are just some of the many people whose dedication has helped make Buckner Brand Management what it is today. I am incredibly grateful for everything they have contributed.”

“Our business has evolved significantly over the past century, but our purpose has remained the same. We are here to make good things happen for our customers. While print remains at the heart of our business, we now combine it with technology, supply chain expertise, trusted partners and brand management to deliver greater value for our customers,” Gell said.

The Buckner Brand Management team reviewing products provided to a customer

In 2005, Malcolm’s son James Buckner joined the business while studying business at Queensland University of Technology. This made James the fourth generation of the family to work in the company and today, he is its general manager of technology. “Being part of a fourth-generation family business reminds you that success is never achieved by one person; it is built through the dedication of many people over many years. It also reinforces that every generation has a responsibility to honour the past while creating new opportunities for the future,” James said. For James, the continued adoption of new technology is simply the next chapter in Buckner Brand Management’s history of adaptation. “Reaching our centenary is an incredible milestone, but it is also the beginning of our next chapter. The opportunities in artificial intelligence, digital platforms and global markets mean the future of BBM is just as exciting as its history,” he added. A century of change One hundred years after Edward Buckner established the business, Buckner Brand Management looks very different from the company he founded in 1926. The products have changed, the technology has changed, and the business itself has evolved many times over.

The Buckner Brand Management warehouse team with the company dog

What has not changed is the belief that success comes from understanding what customers need and being prepared to adapt as those needs change. Malcolm believes that enduring philosophy is the true legacy of the Buckner family.

James Buckner and Malcolm Buckner

“I often think about what my grandfather Edward would make of the business today. I think he would be amazed by how far we have come. More than anything, I hope that he and my nan would be proud of the journey we have taken and the one we are still on,” he added.

AUSTRALIAN PRINTER SEPTEMBER 2026 | 13

WOMEN IN PRINT

From racker to co-owner of Johns Print Centre: a unique career journey Having started in the print industry in a junior role, Melanie Rachwal says never in her wildest dreams did she think she would become a business owner

elanie Rachwal started working in the printing industry straight after high school in 1993 with her first role as a racker at Cutler Brands, located in Kilkenny, South Australia.

“I’ve been fortunate to work alongside him and he reminds me that leadership isn’t about being the loudest person in the room – it’s about making a positive difference every day.”

“I was doing all the junior jobs like emptying the bins, sweeping the floors, standing at the end of the dryer waiting to catch the prints that came down,” Melanie said.

As a woman in print, Melanie works hard to create a workplace where everyone feels respected, supported and valued. “We’ve created an environment that we are very proud of. It’s fun, stressful, respectful, and we’re all teammates and work so well together,” she mentioned.

“After many years, I was promoted to become a screen printer and I had my own screen-printing machine without a dryer. While the prints were going down, I had to race to the end of the dryer to catch them.”

“We’ve changed the boardroom and created an environment that feels like you’re sitting in your lounge room at home. We’re relaxed but dedicated at the same time. I hope that by leading with empathy and fairness, I can help create an environment where everyone has the confidence to succeed, regardless of their background or gender.”

Years later, Melanie had worked in other jobs, married her high school sweetheart, Chad Rachwal, and was raising their family together when she was given the opportunity to work at Johns Print Centre (JPC) in Adelaide. This time, her role was in the despatch area, collating and packing up the jobs and sending freight. Chad worked there as well and one day, they were given the opportunity to buy in as partners.

Melanie believes that one of the greatest ways that women in print can give back to the industry is by sharing their knowledge and encouraging the next generation. “Supporting new team members, mentoring where possible, and showing young women that there are exciting opportunities in print are all important. If sharing my experiences helps someone believe they belong in this industry, then that’s something I’m proud to do,” she said.

They did, and fast forward to 2023, they were given another opportunity to buy out the other business partner – which they also did, and now, are the full owners of JPC. This wasn’t something Melanie had foreseen. She said, “Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would be a business owner in the print industry! What started as an opportunity has now become a genuine passion. “Owning a family-run business has allowed me to see every side of the industry, from the people and relationships to the creativity and problem solving that happens every day. It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of something that we have grown and evolved over the past two and a half years. “Every day is different. One day we’re helping bring a client’s vision to life, and the next we’re creating something that becomes part of a major event or a local business’ identity. I love seeing an idea transform from a conversation

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“I am loud, I say what I think and so I get into trouble sometimes. I’m happy, I take things to heart – but I also stand up for myself and for what I believe in.” Melanie Rachwal is co-owner at Johns Print Centre

into something tangible. Knowing we’ve helped someone achieve their vision is what keeps me excited. The satisfaction of a happy client is the best feeling.”

Moving forward, Melanie said her goals are to continue helping JPC grow while staying true to the values that have always mattered to both herself and Chad, which includes quality, honesty, and looking after their staff, their clients, and their suppliers.

Melanie said her husband Chad has been a great mentor for her.

“We’ve created a great team environment where people are now asking us if they can work at JPC,” she said.

“He obtained an apprenticeship straight out of high school in 1993 at Cutler Brands. He worked hard – from being an apprentice screen printer to working in the art room to sales and customer service,” she said.

“I also want to keep encouraging more women to see the print industry as a place where they can build meaningful and rewarding careers. If I can leave a positive impact on our team, our clients, and the industry itself, I’ll consider that a success.”

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COVER STORY

The future of commercial print is hybrid and automated: Heidelberg Heidelberg enables print service providers to alleviate industry challenges and drive growth through its suite of hybrid production and workflow automation solutions

Today, digital printing stands out for its flexibility, efficiency, and print quality, helping users tap into new business models and opportunities

he printing industry has been undergoing profound transformation for decades and nowhere is this change more evident than in the commercial printing sector. As customer needs become increasingly segmented worldwide, businesses and print service providers must differentiate themselves by engaging highly targeted audiences with the right message, at the right time, and through the most appropriate channel. This shift is significantly reshaping the printing industry that supports these communications. Today, print service providers face a growing number of challenges, including shorter print runs, increasing demand for highly customised and complex applications, and ever-shorter turnaround times. At the same time, rising material and energy costs, coupled with difficulties in recruiting and retaining skilled operators, continue to put pressure on profitability and long-term business sustainability. In this environment, printers must maximise the use of limited resources and improve

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margins by producing a wide variety of short-run jobs efficiently and without waste. While conventional offset printing remains essential for high-volume production, Heidelberg said it has inherent limitations when it comes to meeting these evolving market requirements. As a result, hybrid production environments that combine digital and offset printing have become increasingly important, providing the flexibility needed to respond efficiently to diverse production demands. The potential of digital printing to surpass offset in print production value Choosing the right printing technology is a critical strategic decision for any print business. It influences not only digital transformation initiatives, but also organisational operations, investment priorities, and the ability to adapt to changing market conditions. While offset printing volumes in the commercial segment continue to decline, digital printing has maintained steady growth.

At the same time, research by Heidelberg has found that offset printing still accounts for approximately 90 per cent of total print volume, with digital representing only around 10 per cent. “This highlights a significant market reality: short-run and variable-data applications – the core strengths of digital printing – generate substantially higher value per printed page than traditional offset jobs,” Heidelberg Australia national sales manager Dierk Wissmann said. “The ability to address specific customer requirements, such as audience targeting, personalisation, and timing, has become a major competitive advantage for digital print providers.” This trend is expected to accelerate further. Going forward, commercial printers will need to process smaller job quantities and a broader variety of applications faster and more efficiently, without increasing resource consumption. In this context, Heidelberg says the future of commercial printing lies in

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COVER STORY Combining outstanding performance with remarkable flexibility, it is an ideal solution for commercial printers looking to expand their services and capture new growth opportunities. Installations have been rolling out across international markets since 2025. One of the greatest strengths of the Jetfire 50 is its exceptional productivity. With a duplex output capacity exceeding 4,500 SRA3 sheets per hour, it delivers consistently high-quality results while maintaining reliable production performance.

The Jetfire 50 is an industrial B3-format inkjet press

The press efficiently handles everything from personalised short-run applications to medium-run work, providing excellent cost efficiency for both on-demand and volume production. Beyond productivity, the Jetfire 50 offers a high degree of versatility. It supports a broad range of substrates, including matte coated papers, uncoated papers, and NCR papers, while delivering excellent scratch resistance for durable, high-quality output. Features such as variable-image printing with automated collation, together with inline and nearline finishing options, enable fully integrated one-pass production workflows that minimise manual intervention and maximise productivity.

With a duplex output capacity exceeding 4,500 SRA3 sheets per hour, the Jetfire 50 delivers reliable production performance and high-quality results

fully automated workflows and hybrid production environments. Production and workflows made smarter Modern production environments are increasingly characterised by a high volume of short-run jobs, each with unique data requirements, substrates, and finishing specifications. In addition, production teams must continuously manage file preparation, quality control, scheduling, and last-minute changes.

efficiency. This is achieved through intuitive operation, rapid job changes, automated colour management, and seamless switching between production devices. A high-performance inkjet printing system At drupa 2024, Heidelberg introduced its Jetfire 50, an industrial B3-format inkjet press, as an important addition to its commercial printing portfolio.

By combining the flexibility of digital printing with the reliability of industrial inkjet technology, the Jetfire 50 enables printers to produce a wide range of applications – from marketing collateral to highly personalised communications – without compromising on quality, turnaround time, or efficiency. Digital Press regional business driver Ricky Tan said, “The real value of the Jetfire 50 lies in how it changes the economics of digital production. “By combining high duplex and mix media productivity with fully integrated workflow

In an era dominated by short-run production, relying on manual intervention throughout these processes is neither sustainable nor scalable. It consumes valuable resources and increases the risk of errors. Designing production processes around optimised systems and integrated workflows is therefore essential. The combination of Heidelberg’s latest innovations – the Jetfire 50 and Prinect Touch Free – offers a powerful solution to these challenges. Together, they streamline print production operations while meeting growing demands for faster turnaround times, superior quality, and greater cost

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Heidelberg offers a powerful portfolio for digital printing, which the company integrates – along with its offset offerings – into a digital ecosystem

AUSTRALIAN PRINTER SEPTEMBER 2026 | 17

COVER STORY jobs can be processed simultaneously, minimising downtime and maximising resource utilisation.

Market Developments in Commercial Print. Digital and Offset – Print Production Value (PPV*) Comparison Print Production Value(PPV*) in Commercial Printing Offset (Commercial)

Projection PPV (2027)

Furthermore, Prinect Touch Free dynamically adapts to unexpected events – including equipment failures or staffing changes – ensuring that production schedules remain optimised and operations continue running efficiently.

Product Technology Split 50% 50%

Offset

Digital

Print Volume Split 10%

Digital

Inkjet Digital (Commercial)

Typical Offset run length in 2025: 60 – 70 % is less than 2.000, approx. 10% is over 6.000

A comparison chart showing the difference in print production value between digital and offset

Offset

High print runs

90%

many short run products

*PPV – Print Production Value in Euro worldwide value in Euro of the print jobs produced from the printer's point of view Source/Data: PPV: HEIDELBERG Estimation, based upon industry statistics, PIRA, RISI, S&P HIS Global Insight; Relevant Product Segments Commercial Printing

Prinect regional business driver Brian Kow, said, “With Prinect Touch Free, Heidelberg offers a workflow solution that goes far beyond traditional automation. It not only handles individual steps but also orchestrates the entire production process – from order entry to delivery. “Prinect Touch Free combines offset and digital printing in a seamless hybrid workflow, ensuring maximum efficiency with minimal manual effort.” Wissmann added, “The Jetfire 50 comes with the highest print quality, excellent color consistency, unmatched machine availability, maximum flexibility, and industrial productivity for the digital B3 segment and truly rivals the existing digital B2 segment at the same time.

Heidelberg data shows commercial printing’s ongoing shift toward shorter print runs and higher job volumes

“Driven by Heidelberg Prinect this combination represents a true paradigm shift for the commercial printing industry.” Shaping the future of business

and finishing, printers can significantly reduce cost per printed product while bringing jobs to market faster.

and efficiently, resulting in faster turnaround times, higher equipment utilisation, and increased overall productivity.

“From automated imposition and variabledata printing through to inline and nearline finishing, the Jetfire 50 enables a true one-touch production process. This means fewer manual steps, less operator intervention, and predictable output – allowing print shops to move more jobs through the press each day and profitably produce both personalised short runs and medium-volume work.”

One of the platform’s key capabilities is its end-to-end integration of the entire production process – from order intake through to shipment.

AI-Powered automation with Prinect Touch Free While the Jetfire 50 delivers outstanding hardware performance, Prinect Touch Free takes productivity to the next level through intelligent workflow automation. By fully automating complex production workflows, Prinect Touch Free minimises manual touchpoints while optimising production planning, improving process stability, and reducing errors. From job submission to final delivery, every stage of production is managed seamlessly

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Using AI-driven analysis, Prinect Touch Free evaluates job specifications, imposition requirements, production costs, delivery deadlines, and equipment availability. Based on this analysis, it automatically determines the most efficient production method, selecting either offset or digital printing depending on the requirements of each job. By automatically identifying the optimal production path from PDF file to finished print product, operators are freed from repetitive administrative tasks and can focus on higher-value activities. At the same time, the risk of human error is significantly reduced. This level of automation is particularly valuable for managing large volumes of short-run and personalised work. Through Prinect Production, multiple

Keeping pace with rapidly changing market demands, including rising costs, tighter deadlines, and shifting customer expectations, is becoming increasingly challenging. Yet speed, quality, and cost efficiency remain critical success factors in an increasingly competitive marketplace. As a result, investing in advanced production technology has never been more important. Jetfire 50 and Prinect provide future-ready solutions that not only address today’s production requirements but also prepare print businesses for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. “As a leading technology provider, Heidelberg offers one of the industry’s most comprehensive solutions for integrating digital and offset production within a single workflow ecosystem,” Wissmann said. “This flexibility enables printers to select the most cost-effective production method for every job, from highly personalised short-run digital work to medium- and high-volume offset production, ensuring maximum efficiency, profitability, and long-term competitiveness.”

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HYBRID PRODUCTION. POWERED BY PRINECT. More efficiency, more speed, more future: With the perfect symbiosis of offset and digital printing, you can ensure maximum flexibility even with the shortest delivery times and growing cost pressure. Prinect Touch Free makes the difference: By using artificial intelligence, you can fully automate your job control. Fast, precise, and reliable. hybrid.heidelberg.com

INSTALLATIONS

Norwood secures growth with Durst Norwood Industries recently invested in a Durst P5 350 for the right combination of quality, productivity, flexibility, and confidence in the platform “We have a rich history dating back to the 1960s and as the family is financially secure, it buys assets instead of renting or leasing equipment. Looking at a suboptimal option, which might initially be cheaper and offer a faster payback, that often breaks down or needs to be replaced in the long-term is not our philosophy. As a result, Norwood purchases machinery that is designed to last as long as possible, so we prefer to buy quality European-made machinery,” he said. “Our Norwood team chose the Durst P5 350 because it gave us the right combination of quality, productivity, flexibility, and confidence in the platform. We needed a machine that could handle work efficiently, support fast changeovers, and fit into a high-volume production environment. Durst’s reputation for build quality, colour consistency, workflow integration, and service support gave us confidence that it was the right long-term investment for Norwood Industries.

Jason Nicholas (Norwood Industries) and Matt Ashman (Durst Oceania) with the new P5 350

ustralian-owned printing company Norwood Industries has demonstrated its long-term commitment to serving its customers with the installation of a new Durst P5 350 at its manufacturing facility at Hallam, Victoria. With over 85 staff members, Norwood is now managed by CEO and director Jason Nicholas who was appointed this year following the retirement of Fran Coyle after 24 years with the business. Nicholas was selected by the Eason family to join the business after his extensive experience working in senior management positions within globally recognised brands including Honda, Miele, and Tempur. Under his stewardship, Nicholas is looking to grow the commercial or trade printing arm of the business to service a broader range of customers. “I came into the print industry through a strong interest in manufacturing, technology, and practical problemsolving,” Nicholas said.

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“Print is an industry where innovation has a direct impact on customers’ brands and operations, and that has always appealed to me. Over time, Norwood Industries has continued to invest in capability so we can deliver higher quality, faster, and more reliable print solutions for our customers. “Norwood Industries produces a wide range of large-format and display print work, including signage, point-ofsale and point-of-purchase displays, retail graphics, promotional materials, industrial graphics, and printed components for customer projects. “Our work involves digital wide-format production across both rigid and roll materials, supported by finishing processes that allow us to deliver complete, ready-touse solutions in a rapid time period to create competitive advantages for our customers.” The best of the best Nicholas said Norwood invested in the Durst machine because it wanted “to buy the best”.

“We use the Durst P5 350 as a key production platform for high-quality large-format work. It gives us the ability to move between substrates more efficiently, produce consistent output at speed, and manage a wide variety of customer applications – from retail display through to signage and industrial print work. “The features we value most are the hybrid capability, print width, fast media change, productivity, and workflow integration. Being able to print up to 3.5m-wide across applications gives us excellent flexibility. The machine is also designed for efficient production, with fast media change, easy maintenance, and options such as multiroll and multi-track board printing that support a more streamlined workflow. “The Durst P5 350 has improved productivity by giving us more output capacity, faster turnaround, and greater flexibility across different job types. The combination of speed, quick media changes, and reliable colour output means we can move jobs through production more efficiently and reduce bottlenecks. It has also helped us keep more work in-house, which gives us better control over quality and delivery times.” Family synergies with Durst One of bonds formed during the selection of the new printing equipment has

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INSTALLATIONS “It has strengthened our ability to pursue and win work that requires high-quality large-format output, faster turnarounds, and consistent production across different substrates. It gives customers greater confidence that we can handle more demanding projects, and it opens opportunities in areas where speed, scale, and finish are critical.” Boosting staff morale Nicholas was surprised about the reaction from his staff following the installation of the new Durst machine.

Matt Ashman (Durst Oceania) and Jason Nicholas (Norwood Industries) discuss printing substrates for the new P5 350 HS

“I didn’t realise the impact that the new Durst P5 350 would have on staff morale. When you come to work every day and operate machinery, having state-of-theart equipment provides even long-term staff with a very high level of confidence and satisfaction when they operate a new machine,” Nicholas said. “Across the organisation, there is certainly a lot of excitement with the major expenditure as well as it is a clear signal to staff and customers that we are not sweating assets or draining money out of the business – we are reinforcing our capital infrastructure and reinvesting in the future of the company.

Gary Hocking (Norwood Industries) operating the new Durst printer

been the shared family focus and long history of servicing customers by both of the privately-owned businesses. According to Durst Oceania managing director Matt Ashman, the relationship with Norwood Industries has developed very quickly. “Working with a business such as Norwood has been an absolute pleasure,” Ashman said. “The company is engulfed in the same rich history and family values we hold at Durst, which gives us such synergy. Jason and his team have demonstrated a clear ambition to drive future growth through the Norwood business by confidently investing in the latest technology. “The decision to increase the capability of an already capable and high performing business is inspiring and to see such a wellestablished team be so excited about the new technology that Durst has brought to the business is truly humbling.” Nicholas emphasised the importance of the shared business philosophy that developed throughout the sales and installation process.

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The Durst Welcome Box containing samples and inspiration for new customers

“As Durst is an Italian company celebrating 90 years, we found a lot of synergies from a cultural perspective that aligned with the values of our business, and this is also very important to the family owners of Norwood Industries,” Nicholas said. “Like Matt Ashman and the Durst Oceania business, we are also customer-obsessed – and while it is sometimes to our detriment – everyone on the floor of our business is a ‘yes’ person. Even if the customer has a problem that another company has been unable to solve and they may have come to us as a last resort – we have an internal focus to find a way to find a solution.” Stronger commercial focus As the new CEO of the business, Nicholas has set a long-term target of increasing the commercial trade work completed by the business. “Depending on the month, between 20 to 30 per cent of our work is commercial printing for other organisations. With four staff members in our commercial sales team, the goal is to grow this to 50 per cent of our turnover and the installation of the Durst is a critical part of that strategy,” Nicholas said.

“With our previous digital solution, we needed to throw more resources at it to get more work out. The Durst operates differently. I have found our team slowing down to go fast – this just means we work to calibrate and set up the machine for optimisation before letting it go. “The best analogy I can use is that before the Durst arrived, our digital production manager Gary Hocking used to have V8 Commodore that would go around Albert Park and complete a decent lap time. But now, he is mastering the art of driving a Mercedes F1 car that performs at several times the previous speed.” Installing the Durst The removal of the previous wide format solution and the installation of the new Durst took place in just one day. “We started the installation process at 6.00am on a Monday and the Durst was installed that day. By Friday of that week, we were fully commissioned and printing on the machine that we describe as the ‘jewel in our crown’,” Nicholas said. “As with any major capital equipment project, preparation was important, but the process was well managed and the machine was brought into production smoothly. The team adapted quickly, and the Durst P5 350 has become an important part of our production capability.

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INSTALLATIONS “For a machine of this scale, local support, technical knowledge, and responsiveness are critical. We have been pleased with the support we have received, and that has helped us get the most out of the investment. “I could not talk more highly of the entire Durst team – from a customer experience perspective – it really has been 10 out of 10. No commissioning process takes place without issues, and the team fixed everything during the installation process straight away. The Durst team is now educating and training our staff who have been with us for up to 20 years and their

Jason Nicholas and Shane Easton from Norwood Industries

Norwood Industries manufacturing and operations manager Shane Easton said the new Durst press is enabling the business to expand its offerings whilst creating new opportunities to differentiate and grow. “The quality of the Durst machine is amazing – I cannot rave enough about the quality. What the Durst specifically provides us now is a broad range of extra work that can now be produced that will set us apart from others in the market and grow our business into the future,” Easton said. “For example, we have been producing a job just now on the Durst printed with a varnish. The quality of the end result is so shiny that it appears as though it has been laminated – but the finishing has been completed in the press itself. “We can also produce images with a raised print delivering a 3D texture that looks like a painting. One of the other special features available is a form of printing called lenticular where the Durst uses two different colours and the image can be viewed differently from separate directions – which is great for point of sale and retail applications. “The beauty of a digital press, compared to an offset press, is that we can create a ‘one-of’ or a ‘two-of’ for a customer and whether it is a painting, a poster or a piece of point of sale it can be personalised and individualised.”

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new skills mean their capability is growing, which is building their confidence and making them more valuable to the business. “One of the Durst service technicians, Darcy, lives close to our premises and he now has a hot desk here. Being out on the road all the time can be a lonely experience, so we said ‘why don’t you join our business as an adopted son’. There are a lot of nice synergies between our family businesses.” Printing money In 1999, Norwood was contacted by Note Printing Australia and the Australian Mint to assist with the highly technical printing of local and foreign polymer currency notes. “At the time there was a rush on currency manufacturing with the global concern attached to the potential implications of the Y2K bug – a technological issue that was expected to take place as computers could find it difficult to switch over from 31 December 1999 to 1 January 2000,” Nicholas said. “Sensing potential chaos, governments all over the world placed large orders for extra currency notes fearing that people would withdraw their finds from banks. “Norwood was the only printer in the market during this period with the capability to manufacture polymer currency at the required

level. To maintain a high level of security – many cameras were installed and streets around the building were closed during the manufacturing of the polymer currency.” A legacy from 40 video surveillance cameras installed at Norwood in 1999 following the currency printing project is, the company now has a reputation to deliver a very high security for its customers. “We specialise in work for customers that require a very secure printing project as well as clients that require a special oneoff printing job for a competition or highly confidential document,” Nicholas said. “We like to call ourselves the ‘Fort Knox’ of the Australian printing industry. Every door to our printing facilities can only be accessed through a fob and, of course, everything is always on camera. “If we have a printing job for a government department or a commercial customer requiring a specific level of security or compliance, they can obtain live access through our cameras to observe the printing processes and there may be additional security on site to observe what we are doing as well. “This high security capability is now an innate part of our company infrastructure and an integral part of the way we do business for our customers.”

About Norwood Industries • Norwood Industries was named after a family farm where one of the founders – Kath Garner – was raised at East Gippsland, Victoria. Norwood was a church the family attended at Liverpool in England before migrating to Australia. Kath married Don Eason and they adopted the name for the business. • Don and Kath Eason established Norwood Industries in 1960 to print cloth labels for the local fashion industry. The company later diversified when nurserymen came to them requesting descriptive labels for planting and cropping that were initially paper and then weather-tolerant UV plastic labels and descriptive plant tags that help tell a marketing story for products in the horticultural industry. • Norwood pioneered the introduction of coloured UV printed plant labels and horticultural tags in A/NZ. The company owns a patent on its globally-recognised Taglok label locking system for the secure attachment of tags to plant containers. Norwood now

produces over 12,000 different plant tag varieties. • Don and Kath passed the business on to sons Andrew and Stuart who grew the business further into a multi-million-dollar enterprise. The third-generation of the family – Andrew’s son Trevor – now works as a pre-press operator within the business. • There are now 85 staff within the business that are all connected to the printing operations either directly or indirectly. The oldest staff member working at Norwood is Kerry Ball (78) who was previously a die-cut operator and is now working in stripping, followed by Joy Taylor (76) who works in despatch, and digital production manager Gary Hocking (72). • Approximately half of the Norwood team have worked in excess of 10 years with the business. The company culture is to provide a challenging, yet rewarding work environment with opportunities for advancement and additional experience and training.

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TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Ricoh Australia gives apprentices a closer view of print’s vibrant future Peter Kohn recently joined several Holmesglen Institute students for a hands-on training and education session at Ricoh Australia’s modern Melbourne showroom Beyond traditional print, he highlighted applications including direct printing onto textiles, vehicles, and aircraft, as well as emerging technologies such as 3D printing and bioprinting. “Sustainability remains a key focus,” said Hennessey, noting Ricoh’s inclusion in TIME’s World’s Most Sustainable Companies 2026 list, alongside its focus on energy-efficient design and recyclable materials.

(l-r) Dean Hennessey (Ricoh), Andrew Readman (Holmesglen), Chloe Morgan (apprentice), Aurian Parker (apprentice), Oscar Nuske (apprentice), Locky Hughes (Ricoh), Alex Cozzi (HP), and Michael Crawford (Ricoh)

iving apprentices access to the latest production technology is an important part of preparing the next generation of print professionals and showing young people that print remains a modern, highly skilled industry. A contingent of printing and graphic design students from Holmesglen Institute in Melbourne recently took an opportunity to take a close-up view of cutting-edge digital printing technology when Ricoh Australia hosted a training and education session at its Melbourne showroom. The students, all completing interstate or regional apprenticeships, explored a range of Ricoh hardware and software, including the Ricoh Pro C5410S, Pro C7500, and Pro C9500 colour production presses, and Fiery JobFlow prepress workflow automation software. The proceedings began with Michael Crawford, senior account manager of graphic communications at Ricoh Australia welcoming the students and their team leader, Andrew Readman, Holmesglen’s senior educator of printing. Crawford explained that the session was designed to complement their Holmesglen training while giving the apprentices greater exposure to the modern technology, skills, and career opportunities that are increasingly shaping the print industry’s future workforce.

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With Ricoh having donated a Pro C7200 to Holmesglen, the students were already familiar with the broader functions of the range. During the demonstrations, Hennessey noted the consistency on Ricoh’s production presses of features like input and output trays, making it straightforward to share jobs across multiple presses.

He handed over to Dean Hennessey, professional services manager of graphic communications at Ricoh Australia in Sydney, who began by walking the students through a presentation of Ricoh’s latest product offerings, emphasising advances in automation, inkjet technology, and sustainability.

Demonstrating the C7500, he noted its fifth colour station for gold, silver, white and clear, as well as both neon pink and neon yellow for colour gamut extension and invisible red for security features. Students were shown the capabilities of the press’s airfed and friction-fed trays for various printing requirements, including carbonless stocks.

Hennessey traced Ricoh’s 90-year history of innovation, including more than 50 years developing proprietary inkjet technology, and outlined how the company has expanded its capabilities across production print, workflow software, textiles, and large-format systems.

A Media Identification Unit accurately defines a substrate for printing, explained Hennessey. He spoke about a job in which a Media Identification Unit on the Pro C7500 was utilised to resolve a substrate mismatch by finding the closest matching stock in a global master library.

He emphasised that modern printing is increasingly driven by automated workflows, with print files processed and prepared for production without manual intervention.

The solution optimised the C7500’s settings, including electrostatic charges and fusing temperatures for smooth operation. The process involves simply feeding a paper sample into the unit to identify its specs.

Ricoh’s latest cut-sheet presses can print on stocks ranging from ultra-light 40gsm board to 470gsm board, while specialised fifth colour toner options, including gold, silver, white, and neon colours, allow printers to produce premium applications. Hennessey predicted that inkjet technology will continue to play a growing role in commercial printing because of its versatility and improving image quality. He demonstrated colour-profiling technology capable of matching output across multiple presses and reproducing jobs printed months earlier.

Invited to change a specialty fifth colour fuser on the C7500, student Oscar Nuske did a smooth, professional job, under Hennessey’s watchful eye. Throughout the demos, Hennessey took questions from the students that showed their high level of familiarity with similar technology at their workplaces. Moving to the Pro C9500, Hennessey showcased the high-capacity platform, capable of producing 8,000 sheets output per hour. A key feature of the Pro C9500 is its connectivity to a Plockmatic booklet

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TRAINING AND EDUCATION valuable for the types of work he hopes to undertake in the not-too-distant future. Aurian Parker, a second-year Certificate III printing student, works as an apprentice at Foot & Playsted in Hobart. A successful job interview saw her embrace printing as a career. “It’s actually a bit of a passion now,” said Parker, adding that she’s particularly interested in the technological aspects. She told ProPrint she enjoyed the diversity of equipment she saw in the Ricoh showroom. Dean Hennessey (Ricoh) demonstrates the Ricoh Pro C5410S

“It’s nice to reaffirm some of the stuff that I’m doing at my company. It’s also nice to see the bigger machines and the smaller ones, because being at a smaller firm, you don’t see that variety of different machines, especially not the big ones,” she said. Chloe Morgan, a fourth-year Holmesglen student who works at Printmail Logistics in Hobart, said, “I have a background in graphic design, and I wanted to get into a job that was adjacent to that industry. “So, I thought that printing might be a good idea. I’d say that’s worked out well so far.”

Apprentice Oscar Nuske (left) gets hands on with the Ricoh Pro C7500

Chloe was particularly interested in live demonstrations with a fifth colour station and extra inks. Familiar with operating equipment such as a Ricoh Pro C7200 and a C8300 black and white press, the demonstrations provided her with insights into the future of printing technology, aligning with her career aspirations. Readman said introducing students to the latest generation of technology means their training is optimised. It also creates a drawcard to bring young Australians into the industry.

Michael Crawford (Ricoh) and Aurian Parker (apprentice)

maker for stapling, folding and trimming. The system also caters for both staple and stitch head requirements. “A company in Noble Park uses 14 Pro C9500s with a Plockmatic finisher for national and international printing,” Hennessey said. An intensive look at Fiery’s JobFlow software showed the students how to manage print jobs by organising workflows, if needed, across a wide area network. Hennessey said the software enables automation of print settings and imposition templates, then directs jobs

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to specific printers, while a quick look at Ricoh’s TotalFlow Optimizer software showed jobs being automatically batched based on their characteristics. Speaking to ProPrint after the demos, Nuske, who is in his fourth year of a Certificate III in printing at Holmesglen, described the day as a major learning experience. Nuske, who works as an apprentice at North West Press in Warracknabeal in Victoria’s Wimmera region, is familiar with similar equipment, but said the detailed walk-through on the Ricoh presses was

“Getting the young people in, that’s our biggest challenge. What we’ve got to do is show them modern machinery like Ricoh’s, and show them that it’s high-end work. We’ve got to prove to young people that it’s an industry which is modern and very sustainable,” he mentioned. Crawford said he is confident that Ricoh’s student demo session could become a regular event. “Attracting young people to print remains one of the industry’s biggest challenges, with many viewing it as a traditional or declining sector. From Ricoh’s perspective, this initiative isn’t about showcasing our equipment or products – it’s about supporting the future of the print industry by giving apprentices hands-on exposure to modern production environments, technology and career opportunities,” he added.

AUSTRALIAN PRINTER SEPTEMBER 2026 | 25

XMPIE INNOVATION DAY

Automation takes centre stage at XMPie Australian Innovation Day XMPie brought its Australian customer community together on the Gold Coast for a day of industry insights, collaboration, and networking with peers

(l-r) Phil Gaskin, Yaron Mohaban, Ayelet Szabo-Melamed, Brent Wilson, and Steve Couch from XMPie

MPie recently hosted its Australian Innovation Day on the Gold Coast, providing customers with the opportunity to learn from peers, exchange ideas with partners, and connect with the wider XMPie community down under. Attendees also saw real-world examples of how organisations are delivering results with XMPie, reminding them that innovation isn’t just about technology but about bringing together people who are looking for better ways to solve problems, create value, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. XMPie, a Xerox company, is a provider of integrated software solutions for variable data printing, 1:1 cross-media communications, personalised web-toprint and marketing portals.

web-to-print, demonstrating the platform’s flexibility and open API architecture.

but ultimately perform actions for customers,” Couch said.

“AI is changing the industry, and it is changing the way XMPie users are working. It can help develop campaigns much faster, while also enabling customers to create innovative and creative things that would have been difficult to achieve previously,” Mohaban said.

The latest PersonalEffect 26.3 release includes a redesigned rule editor, enhanced content-object visibility, and new post-composition operations, including page overlays and more precise PDF/VT metadata handling.

“XMPie’s strength comes from the openness of our platform. AI allows our customers to take that flexibility even further, creating new applications and campaigns in ways that may not have been possible before.”

XMPie EMEA, India, and APAC vicepresident of sales Yaron Mohaban addressed how AI is transforming personalised marketing, highlighting the need for users to explore new ways to use the XMPie platform.

XMPie support training manager Steve Couch spoke about what’s new, improved, and what’s coming from the company, saying AI is becoming a major focus across XMPie’s product roadmap as the company is exploring AI-assisted code generation, enhanced uStore functionality, and AI-driven insights and actions, including the ability to ask questions about store performance and eventually execute tasks.

He identified some of its AI-powered tools, integrations, and capabilities across variable data printing, omnichannel marketing, email, landing pages, video, and

“AI is going to play an increasingly important role across our products. We’re looking at how AI can not only answer questions and provide insights,

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Further developments planned for the coming releases – such as a PersonalEffect 26.4/27.0 release towards the end of the year – include barcode overlays, conditional output routing, and expanded functionality for XMPie’s Xlim composition engine. As for uStore, the version 26.3 enhancements due in October include API functionality and back-office UI enhancements. A uStore version 27.1 in Q1 next year aims for more AI functionality and a static product import tool. The roadmap also includes Circle marketing automation/XMPL enhancements to cross-media campaigns, including improved templates, campaign walkthroughs, AI-assisted email creation and A/B testing capabilities, aimed at making the platform easier to use and more accessible to new customers.

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XMPIE INNOVATION DAY Gaskin said in 2022, XMPie Circle used ChatGPT, Amazon Polly, Google Images, and XMPie Video Services, connected through Power Automate or Zapier, to generate location-specific web, PDF, email, and video content from minimal inputs. In 2023, uStore added prompt-based image and text generation, but image quality was still inconsistent; in 2024, DALL-E 2 improved graphic-style outputs, and uPlan and later uStore gained native AI calls without middleware. XMPie EMEA, India, and APAC vice-president of sales Yaron Mohaban

XMPie vice-president of marketing Ayelet Szabo-Melamed

Gaskin added that generative AI is rapidly transforming personalised communications, evolving from an experimental tool into an integrated part of modern marketing software. He said AI can enrich existing customer data with relevant, personalised content while keeping brands in control of the final communication. He mentioned AI can also enhance personalisation without compromising brand consistency. Gaskin added that the evolution has been rapid as what once required middleware, technical expertise, and months of development can now be built in days, with AI integrated directly into XMPie’s software.

Engine CEO Scott Allen

XMPie APAC regional sales manager Brent Wilson

“It now takes literally a few days to build something that would have taken a team of developers months to deliver,” he said. XMPie vice-president of marketing Ayelet Szabo-Melamed spoke about leveraging AI to automate XVS workflows, in particular, saying that personalised video and AI are now practical, scalable tools for revenue-focused customer engagement in the XMPie ecosystem.

XMPie business development channel manager Phil Gaskin

The case for AI integration XMPie APAC regional sales manager Brent Wilson further delved into how automating XMPie with AI enables next-generation personalisation. His presentation highlighted how AI can automate repetitive tasks – from scripting and asset deployment to creating personalised images, video, and 3D product models. AI was also demonstrated creating uStore themes, modifying uPlan files and developing campaign specifications for XMPie’s Circle marketing automation platform.

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XMPie support training manager Steve Couch

Wilson emphasised that AI is intended to support, rather than replace, human expertise. “AI fits well into the XMPie platform, not as a replacement for humans, but as an accelerator across data, design, and delivery,” he said. Furthering the AI theme, XMPie business development channel manager Phil Gaskin spoke about the company’s generative AI journey and how it went from hype to impact. This session covered how AIdriven personalisation and modernised XMPie workflows can build scalable print, e-commerce, and fulfillment campaigns.

She described XMPie’s video service in two parts: uMerge video, a native plug-in for Adobe After Effects, and the XVS dashboard for uploading videos and CSV files and running jobs. Because XMPie works inside Adobe, she said teams can personalise images, video segments, charts, and audio, with chart personalisation as a newer capability that was not possible a few years ago. “We really don’t see AI as a threat at all. We see it as an opportunity because it works,” Szabo-Melamed said. “We know that video translates the customer experience directly into revenue. The conversion rates go up, and email with a video is something that has become much more effective.” A customer success story XMPie customer Engine was in attendance speaking about how the company’s integration of XMPie solutions has resulted

AUSTRALIAN PRINTER SEPTEMBER 2026 | 27

Fujifilm Business Innovation Australia GC retail strategic account director K.Duane Mackey

in a significant new chapter in its three decades of operation. Engine specialises in commercial print, signage, wide format, 3PL Fulfilment, mail, and apparel and merchandise, and developed from its roots as an offset printing operation before expanding into a direct mail marketing business during the early 2000s to now being a fullservice marketing business. Engine CEO Scott Allen said the business’ first XMPie investment was in 2013 with a major digital platform upgrade in 2016, replacing a legacy storefront with a more modern API-based experience. He added that since 2021, its software investment has helped Engine scale sports membership work from five AFL clubs to 15 AFL clubs plus NRL programs, while reducing processing from days to minutes. For example, the 2024 Tassie Devils program used Shopify, XMPie, EDM, mobile wallet passes, and data capture to sell 214,000 foundation packs and build a supporter database. As a second example, Allen said OBrien Real Estate launched a new store for 45 offices with self-service user creation, single-page ordering, and production reporting. “[XMPie has] allowed us to take things that used to take us days to process down to minutes. So, it has allowed us to scale,” Allen said. “The beauty of the platform now is it lets us do that and lets the smart people in our business create some great customer journeys, and that’s what we’re doing.” Partners band together XMPie’s partner ecosystem also plays a role in its growth. Some of its longterm partners in scalable personalisation and automation include Gexin, Fujifilm, and Workflowz, with their experts also speaking at the Australian Innovation Day.

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Gexin senior innovation specialist Steve Lomax

Workflowz sales director Alan Dixon

Offering end-to-end professional services for XMPie users, Gexin specialises in infrastructure management, product development, and platform integration.

“The work is an ecosystem of collaboration,” he said, emphasising the role of shared expertise in extending the capabilities of the XMPie platform.

Gexin senior innovation specialist Steve Lomax’s session showcased practical XMPie and Gexin enhancements that removed customer workflow bottlenecks and improve efficiency for customers.

He also highlighted the potential of AI to accelerate innovation, while maintaining the consistency and reliability of established workflows.

Lomax presented the Gexin Inventory Management Module, an extension for XMPie uStore/StoreFlow, which he said has provided centralised stock edits across authorised stores, avoided taking products offline, enabled search and filtering, and supported inventory sync. “The goal here was to reduce administration and make inventory management effortless,” Lomax said. The module delivered a measured 90 per cent reduction in the time required to update inventory, while also improving accuracy and customer satisfaction. Lomax said the solutions were developed in response to real customer needs, rather than “simply adding features for their own sake”. “These are just very simple little things that we’ve done in the past to get around bottlenecks and to simplify workflows and just to make it a lot more efficient to use for particular customers,” he said. Fujifilm Business Innovation Australia GC retail strategic account director K.Duane Mackey said the company has worked with XMPie for more than two decades, with the partnership helping drive the adoption of personalised communications and automated production workflows. Reflecting on the relationship, Mackey highlighted how the collaboration has extended beyond the two companies to include customers and specialist partners such as Gexin.

“AI is going to bridge the gap between an idea and technical work,” he said, describing it as an equaliser that can make sophisticated applications more accessible and commercially achievable. Workflowz sales director Alan Dixon presented a hands-on walkthrough of workflow automation for the print industry, centered around integration between StoreFlow and Enfocus Switch. He positioned Enfocus around two main areas: PDF quality control with PitStop and workflow automation with Switch, with an app ecosystem including XMPie-based options such as Personalia and uStore integration. The demo emphasised that uStore exposes rich order data through JDF, including order details and metadata that can be inspected and reused for downstream tasks such as address labels, grouping, and production decisions. Dixon said the platform is vendor-agnostic and can integrate with multiple MIS platforms with data flowing both into and back out of production systems. “There’s interconnectivity between the applications. So, there’s added value from that community. The most important thing about the ecosystem, though, is it doesn’t take a genius to run it,” he added. Dixon also presented a practical case study citing a Western Australia deployment that went live in two weeks, handled 500 exhibition stands with a two per cent exception rate, and delivered strong ROI as compared to fully manual processing.

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CO-LOCATED EVENTS

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IVE OPENS IN KEMPS CREEK

IVE Group’s Western Sydney supersite delivers long-term investment in print production The opening of IVE Group’s Kemps Creek site represents an important milestone for the business and a long-term investment in its people, clients, and capabilities

Michael Weaver (Australian Retirement Trust), Garion Thain (deputy mayor of Penrith), Matt Aitken (IVE Group), Susan Paul (Mirvac), Darryl Meyer (IVE Group), Richard Seddon (Mirvac), Nathan Hagarty (MP for Leppington), and Andrew Quade (Mirvac)

ustralia’s largest diversified marketing company IVE Group has officially opened the doors to its new 42,000sqm supersite at Kemps Creek, Western Sydney, marking one of the most significant investments in the company’s history and a major step forward in its national growth strategy. Located within Mirvac’s Aspect Industrial Estate, the purpose-built facility brings together key IVE operations across packaging, commercial print, book production, direct mail, brand activations, warehousing, and distribution into one connected manufacturing hub. The supersite has been designed to increase IVE’s operational capacity, improve integration across its services, and create greater efficiency from production through to distribution. It also provides the flexibility and infrastructure to support the company’s continued growth and evolving client requirements. IVE Group managing director Matt Aitken said the opening represents an important milestone for the business and a long-term investment in IVE’s people, clients, and capabilities.

32 | AUSTRALIAN PRINTER SEPTEMBER 2026

“Kemps Creek represents a significant investment in the future of IVE and what we can deliver for our clients,” Aitken said. “We’ve created a world-class operational hub that brings together people, technology, and capability at a scale that gives us greater flexibility, efficiency, and capacity to grow. “Importantly, this isn’t simply about having a bigger facility. It’s about creating a more connected operation that enables us to move faster, work smarter, and continue investing in the capabilities our clients need from us.” The new facility incorporates advanced manufacturing technology and infrastructure, including new-generation printing presses, as well as purposeengineered pressroom and die-cutting foundations designed to accommodate future equipment requirements. Its workflow has been designed to integrate the movement of raw materials through production and despatch, reducing unnecessary movement and creating a more efficient end-to-end manufacturing environment.

The site also significantly strengthens IVE’s presence in Western Sydney. Located at 4 Pemul Place, Kemps Creek, it is close to IVE’s existing 3PL operations at Erskine Park and its catalogue and magazine printing operations at Huntingwood and Silverwater, creating a highly connected operational network across the region. The location also provides access to Sydney’s major motorway network and the emerging Western Sydney Airport precinct, strengthening connectivity across IVE’s supplier, production, and distribution network. The supersite has also been designed around the people who will work there, with contemporary offices, collaborative spaces, and modern facilities bringing previously separate teams together in one environment. Aitken said the new facility reflects how IVE has evolved and where the business is heading. “The strength of IVE has always been our ability to connect capabilities to solve increasingly complex marketing challenges for our clients,” he said.

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IVE OPENS IN KEMPS CREEK

An image taken during the construction phase of the Kemps Creek site

The completed exterior of IVE Group’s Kemps Creek facility

New presses getting installed at the Kemps Creek site

Matt Aitken and Darryl Meyer from IVE Group with the two HP PageWide Inkjet Web Presses – T240 and T370 HD – in the digital printing area of the Kemp’s Creek facility

Darryl Meyer (IVE Group) with baled paper ready for recycling from the purpose-designed waste extraction system at Kemps Creek

“Bringing more of those capabilities and our people together at Kemps Creek creates new opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and growth. It’s an exciting next chapter for IVE.”

example of what can be achieved through partnership. Projects like this begin as plans on a page, but it takes collaboration, trust, and a shared long-term vision to bring them to life.

Sustainability and responsible operations have been considered throughout the facility, including a purpose-designed waste extraction system that enables paper to be baled for recycling, rooftop solar panels supporting onsite generation of electricity, EV chargers for electric vehicles, and landscaping incorporating over 38,000 native plants.

“The continued development of the Aerotropolis and the broader Kemps Creek precinct is creating new

Australian Retirement Trust general manager Michael Weaver added, “When I see what IVE has been creating as a business for over 100 years, it is wonderful to see an Australian company grow over time – and hopefully, it can go on for another 100 years and create more value for Australians.

The opening of Kemps Creek follows IVE’s continued investment in its national operational footprint, including its purposebuilt 3PL facility in Dandenong South, Victoria. IVE Group has 25 sites across Australia with presence in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, and Tasmania.

“So, it’s a very widely strategic decision [to set up a site in Kemps Creek]. It will pay benefits for many decades to come, and I congratulate IVE on what is an incredible milestone – not just for IVE, but for this part of the world”.

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opportunities for investment, employment, and economic growth in Western Sydney. We’re incredibly proud to officially welcome IVE to the Mirvac family.”

“The ability to build something like this from what was just dirt two years ago is fantastic, and we look forward to this being a happy home for IVE for many years to come.”

At the inauguration of the Kemps Creek site, MP representing the NSW Government and member for Leppington Nathan Hagarty said, “IVE is in an incredible position to benefit from all that opportunity and all that growth – whether it be in employment, tourism, or in all the housing that’s coming out here.

Mirvac CEO of investments Richard Seddon said, “Today is a powerful

A sneak peek inside the IVE Kemps Creek showroom

Matt Aitken (IVE Group) speaking at the official opening of the Kemps Creek site

Together, the investments support IVE’s broader strategy to connect creativity, production, data, technology, and delivery, providing clients with increasingly integrated solutions from idea through to execution.

AUSTRALIAN PRINTER SEPTEMBER 2026 | 33

IVE OPENS IN KEMPS CREEK

IVE doubles down with two more Koenig & Bauer presses in Sydney IVE has installed two Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 X presses at its new Kemps Creek facility, boosting high-speed production capacity of up to 20,000 sheets per hour expectations at the same time – they are amazing pieces of engineering. “This journey with Koenig & Bauer started three years ago, as we considered the right investment profile to support IVE’s ambitions in packaging. “From the outset, there was strong alignment between our teams. Koenig & Bauer understood what we were looking to create in Australia and worked with us to identify the technology that would best support that vision.

(l-r) Andreas Friedrich, Kay Halboth, Dietmar Heyduck, and Graham Harris from Koenig & Bauer with Darryl Meyer (IVE Group), Rayne Simpson (Koenig & Bauer), and Matt Aitken (IVE Group)

“We’re delighted with the outcome. The presses are delivering the performance, speed, and quality we expected and are an important part of the capability we’re building for our clients.” Koenig & Bauer Australia managing director Graham Harris said he has enjoyed working with the IVE staff during the installation and commissioning process. “IVE is an incredibly professional company to deal with. It makes it a lot easier to install presses when you are working with team members like Kane Flynn, Simon Bailey and Shane Britten project managing a new site like Kemps Creek,” Harris said.

Rayne Simpson (Koenig & Bauer), Matt Aitken and Darryl Meyer from IVE Group, and Graham Harris (Koenig & Bauer)

VE Group has installed a duplicate set of Koenig & Bauer offset presses at its new production facility at Kemps Creek in Sydney to match the existing machines located at its Braeside factory in Melbourne. IVE has installed a Rapida 106 X seven-colour hybrid press with double coater delivering up to 20,000 sheets per hour and a Rapida 106 X perfecting press with ten colours and a single coater. IVE managing director Matt Aitken said the four Koenig & Bauer presses anchor the company’s packaging business strategy. “The installation of the duplicate set of Koenig & Bauer presses is a core part of the investment strategy creating

34 | AUSTRALIAN PRINTER SEPTEMBER 2026

packaging capability in NSW that mirrors what we have in Victoria so we can serve national brands and provide speed to market in an even greater way,” he said. “We are now taking this area of the packaging industry to another level with a unique offer. The investment we have made in this sector with this equipment is creating a real ‘wow’ factor for clients. The customers who have visited us are very impressed and love what we have done.” Aitken said he has been impressed by the performance, speed, and quality of the work produced by both Koenig & Bauer machines, adding, “It is one thing to run the press at 20,000 boards an hour, it is another thing to also meet our quality

Koenig & Bauer sales manager Rayne Simpson said the performance of the presses installed by IVE are unlike any other currently in the Australian market. “This is something very special for Koenig & Bauer to have a company like IVE invest in their technology. These Rapida 106 X machines are the first sheet fed presses in Australia to run at 20,000 sheets an hour. When measured against similar machines worldwide, IVE’s top performing rating indicates the press and its production are operating at the defined optimum against the KPIs being measured,” Simpson said. “As expectations for print quality continue to increase, the Rapida 106 X presses are equipped with advanced quality measurement and control systems. These systems provide continuous monitoring throughout production, helping operators achieve faster makeready, reduce waste, and maintain consistent print quality from the first sheet to the last at super high speeds.”

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IVE OPENS IN KEMPS CREEK

IVE installs BOBST NOVACUT die-cutter at new Kemps Creek facility The installation of a BOBST NOVACUT at IVE’s new Kemps Creek packaging facility aims to boost consistency, reliability, and production efficiency “One of the reasons why this particular BOBST NOVACUT machine delivers maximum productivity for IVE is because it has been commissioned with several important accessories,” he said. “The IVE machine folder gluer features a batch inverter, easy feeder system, and a carton packing system – which when combined, significantly improves the automation of the product. “Hence why there is not as much of a bottleneck with this finishing device compared to others in the market. Xavier Michelet (Bobst), Carsten Wendler (Print & Pack), and Matt Aitken and Darryl Meyer from IVE Group

VE Group has installed the latest BOBST NOVACUT high-speed die-cutting technology at its new Kemps Creek packaging facility in Sydney.

Aitken said theBOBST finishing equipment now runs 24 hours a day, chosen specifically to minimise delays or bottlenecks in production.

IVE managing director Matt Aitken said the decision to install the BOBST NOVACUT in Sydney was deliberately made to mirror the existing installation at the company’s Braeside production facility in Melbourne.

“The team from BOBST, working alongside Print & Pack, has done a great job ensuring we run the equipment as efficiently as possible, keeping throughput moving through to the gluer – also supplied by BOBST – and finished product out to our customers,” he said.

“It was important to us that, when we set up here in Sydney, we mirrored the profile we had already built in Melbourne, so we can support our national clients from either site,” Aitken said.

Print & Pack NSW sales manager Miro Williams said the BOBST NOVACUT installed at Kemps Creek is not only the most recent installation of this technology in Australia, but also among the most efficient.

“BOBST die-cutting machines are well-engineered and based on the auto-platen invented by BOBST over 100 years ago which has been the platform for every die-cutter developed in the market ever since. “The BOBST NOVACUT is made for running 24-hours a day, seven-days a week. The BOBST brand is synonymous with quality, and these machines are built to do this work – and they thrive on this work. “If your packaging facilities are looking to maximise productivity and quality day after day, with ease of use thanks to advanced “HMI” and perfect registration, BOBST is the brand you should be looking for.”

“BOBST is a partner we trust. They’re well known in the market for reliability and quality, and here in Australia, that’s backed by a strong local team in Miro and Carsten from Print & Pack. Having a reliable partner on the ground makes a real difference. “BOBST has been closely involved with us throughout, both through the time our team has spent with them in Europe and here in Australia. They’ve been an important partner in our packaging expansion in Sydney. “What BOBST gives us is consistency across the business from a technology standpoint – equipment that’s reliable and simply doesn’t stop. It’s a strong partnership, and one that’s core to the capability we’re building for our clients.”

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Matt Aitken and Darryl Meyer from IVE Group, Carsten Wendler (Print & Pack), Xavier Michelet (Bobst), and Miro Williams (Print & Pack)

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Inno vation From vision to reality Experience how BOBST is leading market changes to answer your challenges Interested? Contact your local BOBST representative at www.bobst.com/contact

www.bobst.com

AWARDS

LIA Victoria names 2026 Graduate of the Year Award winners at CMYKhub Guests visited the world-class facility and were buoyed by the opportunity to meet some of the industry’s ‘leaders of the future’ as LIA Victoria named its 2026 award winners

(l-r) 2026 LIA Victoria Graduate of the Year Finalists: Jake Slaven, Sam Govinnage, Jason Girling, Daravuth Chhay, and Daniel Angerosa, with Lindsay Banks from LIA Victoria

MYKhub recently hosted an LIA Victoria event at its new Melbourne headquarters, where over 45 guests enjoyed a tour of the company’s comprehensive trade printing plant before joining in the celebration of this year’s LIA Victoria Graduate of the Year Awards presentation. The impressive facility, which opened last November, proved a strong attraction, with a record number of guests registering for their opportunity for a ‘behind the scenes’ look at the plant, which offers trade services in everything from business cards to banners, and from books to DTF films. The hour-long tour, hosted by CMYKhub staff, was followed by the announcement of finalists and winners in this year’s LIA Victoria Graduate of the Year Awards. The presentation was introduced by 2025 Victorian and national winner Jackson Young, who reflected on the impact the awards and the process had made to his

38 | AUSTRALIAN PRINTER SEPTEMBER 2026

career, before LIA Victoria awards convenors Lindsay Banks and David Galbraith announced the finalists and winners. The six graduates nominated as finalists are: • Daniel Angerosa – Graphic Packaging International – Certificate III in Printing (Litho) – Holmesglen TAFE • Daravuth Chhay – MCC Melbourne – Certificate III in Printing (Flexo) – MCC Labels • Jason Girling – Placard – Certificate III in Printing (Litho) – Holmesglen TAFE • Sithara (Sam) Govinnage – MCC Melbourne – Certificate III in Printing (Flexo) – MCC Labels • Jesse Romano Lizama – Filton Packaging – Certificate III in Printing (Flexo) – Holmesglen TAFE • Jake Slaven – MCC Global IML – Certificate III in Printing (Litho) – MCC Labels

CMYKhub offers trade services in everything from business cards to banners, and from books to DTF films

Galbraith introduced all six finalists, of which five were in attendance, detailing the career paths and ambitions which

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AWARDS

Nearly 50 people took the opportunity to tour CMYKhub’s impressive new trade printing facility in Keilor Park

contributed to their nomination. He highlighted the fact that most were matureage apprentices, bringing a range of talents, experience and insight to their roles. “All these candidates are super-motivated, ambitious people who love their print careers,” he said. “It is genuinely pleasing to hear their stories and to see their interest in further training in leadership and management, as they seek to improve themselves and create opportunities to step up when the opportunity presents itself.” Banks who is also the chair of the LIA graduate committee, then announced the winners – Winner Jason Girling, and Special Distinction recipient, Daravuth Chaay – saying the judging process was one of the most challenging ever, going well into the night due to the calibre of the clients.

Heidelberg Australia national sales manager Dierk Wissmann presented the awards to Girling and Chaay, reiterating the commitment of his company to supporting the development of industry professionals. He also presented a plaque to Placard’s Tim Messenger, who attended on behalf of the employer. LIA Victoria president Robyn Frampton highlighted the quality of new talent in the sector, and the responsibility of the industry at large to do what they can to support opportunity and career growth.

Girling received a $3,000 grant towards further training, travel or resources to further his career, while Chaay received a $1,000 grant.

“It is on all of us to make sure we continue to encourage those who are new to our sector, and ensure they have the support and opportunities to continue to develop their skills and build their careers.”

“These award winners joined generations of graduates who had been supported in their career development through the LIA Awards, which have been sponsored by Heidelberg Australia (formerly Seligson & Clare Australia) since 1972, and by supplier association Visual Connections,” he added.

The night concluded with the customary social gathering over drinks and nibbles, with guests universally thankful for the opportunity to visit the world-class facility and buoyed by the opportunity to meet what are undoubtedly the industry’s ‘leaders of the future’.

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Tim Messenger and Jason Girling from Placard

“It is always amazing to see the quality of people coming into our sector, and to see the passion they have for their work, and the effort they put into their career development,” she said.

Daravuth Chhay (MCC Melbourne) and Jason Girling (Placard)

AUSTRALIAN PRINTER SEPTEMBER 2026 | 39

OPINION

What are the four hidden layers of the print marketing iceberg? Deborah Corn explains how PSPs can show customers that their partnership and capabilities go deeper than producing surface-level sales and marketing materials

eta, formerly Facebook, just gave printers a reason to talk with customers about digital marketing instead of printing, and a print marketing iceberg chart is a perfect delivery device.

Marketers are accustomed to dashboards, reports, attribution models, engagement metrics, and campaign analytics. This is where marketing technology becomes part of the conversation. QR codes, personalised URLs, promotional codes, landing pages, CRM integration, and reporting tools can connect print to measurable activity and outcomes.

In a recent announcement, they alerted customers to new Digital Services Taxes on ads based on the countries where they are served. And most importantly, advertisers won’t know the additional costs until after their campaign is over, and they get the bill. Although the fee structure isn’t hidden, the ramifications are, and they won’t be fully known until they surface. Since I’ve been down the rabbit hole with iceberg charts lately, I decided this was the perfect topic for creating a print marketing iceberg! An iceberg chart is a visualisation that uses the iceberg metaphor to explore what lies beneath the surface of a topic. The visible portion represents what is widely known, while the much larger portion below the waterline reveals deeper layers, hidden connections, and lesser-known insights. The Meta announcement will drive conversations about digital marketing budgets and how to factor in additional costs. While that is topical, it’s the perfect moment to remind customers that print can strategically support and drive results for the digital marketing they are already investing in. The print marketing iceberg The top of the print marketing iceberg represents what many customers see when they think about print: sales and marketing materials; insert offer here, move on to the next project. Below the surface are capabilities that often go unexplored, including targeted communications, triggered campaigns, performance measurement, and integration with digital marketing efforts. The four capabilities below the waterline create a framework for conversations that connect print to the digital marketing strategies many of your customers are already using.

40 | AUSTRALIAN PRINTER SEPTEMBER 2026

The print marketing iceberg below the surface consists of targeted, triggered, measured, and integrated capabilities

Print marketing iceberg: Targeted Marketers spend significant amounts of money targeting specific audiences online. They target by geography, demographics, interests, behaviours, past purchases, website activity, and more. Yet, many still think of print as a one-size-fits-all communication channel. The targeting conversation creates an opportunity to discuss how available data can be used to deliver relevant communications to specific audiences and support broader marketing objectives with greater precision.

If a customer is already investing in digital marketing because measurement matters, this is an opportunity to discuss how print can support those same goals. Print marketing iceberg: Integrated Print and digital work best together. This is the conclusion we want marketers to embrace. If a customer is investing in Facebook, Google, email marketing, events, and other digital channels, the conversation can focus on how print can support and strengthen those efforts. Need more followers on a Facebook page? More event registrations? More traffic to a landing page? More engagement with a campaign that is already producing results? Print can help move people into those digital experiences while creating an additional touchpoint along the way.

Print marketing iceberg: Triggered

Send a signal flare

Digital marketers rarely send communications at random. Engagement and behaviour determine what happens next.

Share the Meta news with your customers, along with a print marketing iceberg chart that highlights your capabilities and the superpowers of print beneath the surface. If they haven’t seen the news, you’ve provided valuable information. If they have, you’ve demonstrated that you’re paying attention to developments that could affect their business.

Someone downloads a guide, registers for an event, abandons a cart, makes a purchase, or completes another action, and the next communication is automatically delivered. Print can support that same strategy through drip campaigns, programmatic print campaigns, and data-driven communications tied to engagement, actions, milestones, or other signals. Print marketing iceberg: Measured If a marketer believes print can’t be measured, the question isn’t whether measurement exists. It’s whether anyone has shown them how.

Either way, you sent over a cool visual, opened the door to a topical, timely conversation, and showed that your partnership and capabilities go deeper than producing surface-level sales and marketing materials. Deborah Corn is the Intergalactic Ambassador to The Printerverse at Print Media Centr.

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