Print veteran Michael Broughton of Perth-based direct mail and marketing company Lasermail has left the industry, delivering a broadside to Australia Post and its CEO Ahmed Fahour on his way out the door.
Broughton, who started his company 21 years ago, says he has become increasingly disillusioned with the way the national carrier has been managed in recent years.
“We’ve seen a massive decline in services and the whole model is now wrong. I have to agree with recent comments by Printing Industries head Bill Healey that the wrong man is running Australia Post these days. They spend all their time talking down mail and driving people into an email formula. In the early days, I had an Australia Post account manager who would actually visit the premises and there were discounts and other incentives available for mailing businesses. All we have now is continual price increases and it’s become extremely difficult to even talk to them.”
Broughton has sold his company to former competitor Quickmail, a family-owned Perth mail house and communications business, in a deal effective 21 July.
“The time was right. I’m 65 now and I have some alternative things to do but it was very important to me to find a company that was the right fit,” said Broughton. “Quickmail was smaller than us and a perfect fit because we were able to transfer over our entire staff of nine and also most of the machinery, including top end laser printers, guillotines and other equipment.”
Jean Paul Tedeschi, MD and owner of Quickmail, said the acquisition would allow his company to continue to grow its core mailing, warehousing and distribution services at its Kenwick premises in Perth’s south-east.
"Lasermail is a very good fit for Quickmail and we are united by a common culture based on a passion for customer service and high quality products and services," said Tedeschi. "The mailing industry is changing rapidly and Quickmail's strategy has been to increase our service offerings. Over the past few years we have introduced warehousing and fulfilment services, email marketing and a new mailing portal called Quickmail Manager, which allows our customers a complete web to print to mail system. All these services have kept our business growing and when the opportunity came to purchase Lasermail, we saw that the additional machinery as well as the experienced staff would be a perfect fit.
The acquisition would double the size of the business said Tedeschi, whose company has been in operation since 1992.
"We are very excited about the prospects ahead as we blend the considerable talents and technology of Quickmail and Lasermail. Our focus is on delivering communications for businesses of all sizes and ultimately our success will come from helping our clients succeed."