Eco-market sensitivity drives Southern Colour takeover

The difficulty of getting all the ISO certifications, the FSC chain of custody and other green accreditations convinced McDonald and Masterson to take a different path.

“It costs money to get your business into the position where print buyers are happy with your environmental record. It’s not easy, I know what it took us,” said Scot Telfer, managing director, Southern Colour (NSW). He was commenting on the decision by the principals of Macdonald and Masterson to merge their business with his.

“They looked at what could happen to their business if they didn’t change to suit the market’s demands. It’s a great fit synergistically. We have a similar focus on the market … agencies and designers,” said Telfer.

The merger will see the key personnel of McDonald & Mastersnon, principals and sales people, move across town to the North Shore premises of Southern Colour(NSW). The presses and factory staff will not make the transition.
The move comes in the wake of weeks of takeover and shutdowns in the Sydney market. It highlights the difficulty medium-sized printers have to survive in an increasingly competitive market.

“It is very hard to grow organically in this market,” said Telfer. “The merger will be every good for us. It gives us the critical mass to move forward.”

Despite the trauma of recent weeks, some Sydney printers are reporting increased workflows originating from the shut down plants. With fewer printers in the market, there’s more work to go around.