Sign and display trade association Fespa Australia has chosen 12 candidates from the local industry who will participate in this year’s Future Leaders Programme.

Global industry analyst Smithers says the market for printed packaging and labels will grow by almost 40 per cent over the next five years, with digital packaging printing to grow the most.

Craig Heckenberg, managing director of Epson Australia, says the company’s monster $875m acquisition of Fiery will set the company and its customers up for the future.

Multi-award-winning print business, Carbon8, gave members of the NSW LIA a tour of its facility, and an insight into its business yesterday, sharing the strategies for its success.

The largest print deal of the year will see Epson buy the world’s biggest rip developer, Fiery, from EFI, for $875m (US$591m), with the acquisition set to complete by December. It will be run as a stand-alone business, with Epson promising strict confidentiality to OEMs.

Print industry suppliers’ association Visual Connections will once again sponsor competitors in the Australia WorldSkills competition, providing $10,000 in funding to those who attend the 2025 competition.

Two of the leading print businesses in Victoria have merged, with Complete Colour Printing and Adams Print now part of the same company. They will maintain their brands and production centres.

Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers have been given both barrels by the Business Council of Australia over the new workplace laws, which it says are taking the country backwards. The VMA is also not happy.

The administrators of German finishing solutions manufacturer Kolbus have closed its subsidiary Autobox, leaving Graffica, the ANZ representative, and the owners of the 70 units installed here, in the dark.

Super Creative took out Best in Show, Liberty Signs won the People’s Choice, Cactus Imaging took out Sustainability for its Ecobanner, while Brisbane Signs & Engraving won the most Golds with three, at the Currie Group Asga National Sign & Graphics Awards.

Australian Community Media will stop printing another eight regional newspapers in NSW from next month, citing the decision by Meta to withdraw its $200m funding to publishers as the key reason.

Print businesses looking to get an insight into industry data and trends are invited to attend the Annual Industry Metrics Roadshow 2024, hosted by the VMA in five cities in October and November.

Almost 100 per cent of printed newspapers have been diverted from landfill, under an industry-led product stewardship scheme for the recycling of newspapers and magazines approved by the government.

Young people are now signing up for print apprenticeships, following the Sign & Print Career Connections roadshow that has been touring the country, with the team engaging directly with some 6000 students at the roadshows.

Flexo plate developer Xsys has bought rival flexo plate developer MacDermid in a $485m (US$325m) deal, and appointed a new CEO to run the enlarged operation.

The global CEO of Konica Minolta, Toshimitsu Taiko, is paying his first visit down under, visiting customers and outlining the company’s strategy for its production print and industrial print (PPIP) division.