Agfa Graphics NZ management changes

The new year began with Mike Stevens' (pictured) appointment as New Zealand's national sales manager, replacing Steve Taylor, who relocated to Melbourne as Agfa's new inkjet business manager.


Now, after 45 years in the print industry, printing products' business manager Mike Kerwin will retire at the end of March to enjoy a 'well-earned' holiday. At the same time, John Holloway from the Wellington branch will retire from his role as Senior Account Manager and Clem Jarvis and Ken Moxon will take up technical support roles in the North and South regions respectively.


“Mike Kerwin has enjoyed a long and illustrious career in the New Zealand printing industry, spanning some forty-five years,” says Stevens. “During that time he's seen some major changes in the technology and structure of the printing industry, right from his modest beginnings as an apprentice letterpress machinist using hot metal type – a long-defunct trade' at Phoenix Print – which also no longer exists. Years later, at Agfa, he was involved in the initial introduction of computer-to-plate technology – a significant technological shift for the print industry.”

Kerwin's introduction to the supply side of the graphics' industry was in 1982 when he joined Morrison Printing Inks as a technical specialist for 'Ozasol' offset plates. When Printing Technologies opened its New Zealand offices in 1990 and took over the Ozasol agency, he moved with it, becoming the printing products manager and taking on responsibility for other agencies, including Reeves blankets.

He became an Agfa employee when the company acquired Printing Technologies in 2000, moving to the Glenfield site to take on his current role of business manager. Kerwin was instrumental in securing many of Agfa's important plate contracts and his long-established relationships with many senior print industry managers in New Zealand has been a great benefit to the company.

Based in Auckland, Clem Jarvis will become more involved with technical plate support in the Northern region.
“He has an extremely good technical understanding of plates and the precise operating parameters of Agfa’s plate portfolio,” says Stevens, “and this will enhance our existing high-profile plate accounts and any further opportunities for increased plate business.”

In a similar role, Ken Moxon will be based in Wellington from early April to support the Wellington region and South Island market as a technical plates specialist. He draws on many years of plates experience and, says Stevens, will be an asset to the region.

Stevens himself is settling in to his new role, as national sales manager for New Zealand. He took over on 1 January when Steve Taylor relocated to Agfa's Melbourne office to manage the company's growing inkjet product portfolio.

"I'm enjoying the new challenges of my new role and am looking forward to working alongside our client partners and assisting them with their business efficiency objectives.,” he says.

After serving his apprenticeship as a photolithographer back in late 1970s he worked in the trade for many years, as well as spending some time as a primary school teacher. He joined Agfa New Zealand 15 years ago as a technical sales representative and was the business manager for imaging systems before taking on his new national role.

With the retirement of Kerwin and Holloway, Stevens does lament the loss of such highly-skilled and knowledgeable staff from the company.

“We're losing 170-plus years of experience in the next few months,” he points out. “However, despite the changes in staff, it's still 'business as usual' for Agfa, so our New Zealand customers can rest-assure the same good service and technical backup is still in place."