O'Brien Formes gears up with major investment

Martin O’Brien Formes, which specialises in die cutting forme production, as well as general manufacturing, is expanding, moving into a new 2800sqm factory, and investing in new production technology.

The new facility, located in Braeside, Victoria, will allow the family-owned business to place its operations and services - currently using three separate premises - under the one roof. The company is invested in new machinery to add to its portfolio for the relocation, including a new folder/gluer.

Jordan O’Brien, director of Martin O’Brien Formes, said, “We are running out of room in our old facilities, hence the plans to move to a bigger factory. I am also looking at spending at least a million bucks in upgrades over the next three years, give or take. We would like to keep with the latest technology, especially implementing more automation if we can."

“We plan on updating all of our old gear, plus we were looking at getting a new folder/gluer because there is not that many people doing it on this side of town, and we want to be able to cover that segment,” he tells Print21.

“We hope to be a happy story in the industry, as the recent Covid outbreak has caused so many others in this sector to close down. We’ve managed to be alright so far, and we have been manufacturing face masks and shields needed for the pandemic, but not everyone has been quite so fortunate.”

Founded in 1960, Martin O’Brien Formes began as a local die making shop, producing hand crafted formes using traditional tools. As the business grew, it expanded into manufacturing with its own die cutting and print finishing facilities.

“We actually started off in a shed in a garden before eventually moving into a small factory, and then slowly growing from there,” Martin O’Brien, company owner, told Print21.

“We grew to a point where we eventually ended up bringing in the first laser-cutting machine for die making in Australia, all the way back in 1972, and which I had to go to England to be trained on how to use it.”

Semi-retired and working in a consultancy role, Martin O’Brien has now left control of the day-to-day operations of the company to his two sons; Jordan, who now runs the company, and Aron, who takes care of all the financials.

“I meet up with the boys at least once every month or two and spend a week to just go through all matters for the business and brainstorm through a few ideas, which lately has been around our expansion and how we will sort out the new factory,” explains O’Brien.

Today, the company has grown into a nationwide provider of advanced cutting formes, manufacturing services and industry supplies, and continues to grow and engage in the latest technology to deliver new and innovative manufacturing opportunities and products to its clients.

Martin O’Brien Formes works with many global leaders in the industry to bring the highest quality materials and the latest technology to its forme manufacturing process.

It specialises in manufacturing using a variety of die, laser and cnc cutting solutions, which are commonly used on things like marketing displays, point-of-sale stands, or product packaging using materials such as cardboard, corrugated cardboard, card, vinyl, sticker sheets, plastics, and much more.