Giant US roller company, Rotation Dynamics Corp, will develop manufacturing facilities in Melbourne to service the Asian Pacific region following its buyout of the local roller businesses. RotaDyne is one of the worlds leading suppliers of rubber and hard coated rollers for the printing industry.

Andy McCourt looks into the mysterious world of Private Equity funds, their decade of involvement in Australasian printing and their impact on the sale of Blue Star in Australia and New Zealand.

Growing interest from international visitors and suppliers has prompted Hunkeler to extend this industry event from four to five days. Approximately 80 exhibitors will present their latest products in Hall 2 with its 7000 sq/m of floor space. And once again, a few of them will use the exclusive showcase of the Hunkeler Innovation Days for world premieres.

Now that the festivities of Christmas and the New Year have finally abated, Ascent Partners director and industry expert, Richard Rasmussen, looks back at the final big deals to pass through the marketplace in the lead up to 2013.

Industry chief describes the proposed Victorian TAFE school, now identified as Melbourne's Holmesglen, as the most economically responsible way to deliver institutional training for printing apprentices.

The inventor of the electro-ink printing process has been busy since he sold Indigo to Hewlett Packard in 2002, culminating in the launch of six Landa Nanographic presses at drupa in May. Since then not a lot has been heard from him, so Patrick Howard went to the Landa Labs at Rehovot, Israel, to discover how the future of printing is progressing.

Automation and workflow technologies are becoming increasingly vital for printing industry players competing in a market with tight margins and stiff competition. In a new monthly series of articles by long-time industry consultant, David L. Zwang, the processes and products that can lead to the positive transformation of a print company’s workflows and business are brought into focus with the aim of preparing printers for the new challenges ahead.

Training Action Group secures commitment from one of Melbourne’s leading TAFE Institutes to establish a print training centre to replace the lost RMIT facility. The Action Group was formed by prominent industry identities in May last year following the announced closure of RMIT print training.

As Print21 wraps up for Christmas, let’s look back at some of the key industry moments that shaped 2012. Printers and suppliers came face to face with their destiny in this drupa year – win, lose or draw. Amazing how many times the same names cropped up.

In a year chock-a-block with massive industry movements – consolidations, acquisitions, administrations, insolvencies, new products, breakthrough technology and plenty of equipment sales – Ascent Partners director, Richard Rasmussen, has kept his finger firmly on the industry’s pulse.

This is the busy season for photobook purchases as everybody searches for that special, one-off gift. It comes at the end of an amazing year for this burgeoning print market, one in which it has garnered some impressive accolades. Simon Enticknap reports on a unique print product.

Natural forest fibre sourced through appropriate harvesting delivers better outcomes for the environment and the printing industry – Industry Edge report. Sourcing paper by relying on paper companies’ chain-of-custody and FSC certification of industrial plantations is not promoting true sustainable outcomes.

High-profile industry identity is a casualty of the new national structure of the leading print industry association. Patterson, formerly the Victorian state manager under the old organisation, was GM for Sales and Marketing under the revamped national structure.

One of Australia’s largest retailers, Woolworths, will share its packaging trends at the next Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) technical dinner, which will take place on 27 February in Oatlands, Sydney.

Ascent Partners director, Richard Rasmussen, reflects on November’s major business sales, acquisitions, closures, consolidations and relocations. A large volume of machinery sales and installations are also reported.