Letters, feedback, get it off your chest: 22 December 2010

Not everyone wants to write to Santa, some have thoughts on our stories they’d like to share with us. Why not write in and let us know what you think, too.

Re: Roy McKelvie gone from Gresham Partners

As I stated in March this year, the equity partners have treated the print industry with disrespect. Sure, the cowboys needed to be weeded out and some needed educating on how to control a print business in hard times. And as I have found out there are still some print owners living in the seventies hoping for a turnaround. Some of these guys do know how to knuckle down and with respectful guidance develop the new print businesses of the future as some have. The equity partners have failed and left a trail of misery and an industry on its knees praying.

It’s time that private equity groups put the passion and craft back into print. Equity partner print groups have, in my opinion, treated the commercial print people and the industry with disrespect by not appreciating the knowledge and benefits that they can really bring to the table (and this can be said for most of the equity partner groups).??Yes, the print people had a lot to learn and there certainly needed to be a maturing and growth in their abilities; however, they know what makes the industry tick. It is a small and incestuous industry with a lot of skilled and talented people. Give them the skills and train them to improve their financial skills but show respect for our print culture that has been crafted for many years. People are the key to the success of a print business. Make them proud of what they belong to and make them really part of your new print business structures!??

Print manufacturing is not 101 and print sales is not 101 as I have heard some equity partner print group say, that is utter ignorance. Commercial printing is a diverse range of different services and talent that come together to ensure the finalisation of a quality printed product in many different applications.??

It takes longer than a year, much longer, to understand the commercial print culture. It is not book printing or web printing, they are all different in processes. Until the equity partner print groups appreciate that and build a respect for commercial print people, the equity partner model in commercial print will continue to fail. It is much more than just numbers. Build a commercial print business that is passionate about quality, service and the craft of commercial printing, then the dollars will look after themselves. ??

You might be good at running a successful finance business but a commercial print business, you have a lot to learn. I am seriously and thoroughly disappointed with the way these finance organizations have seen us, the print industry, as a quick buck and didn’t really care about building a true future for that business and its people. In their rush to buy print businesses “under duress” they were either to slow to react or brought in people that had no respect or experience with the industry’s skilled people. They even had built in exit strategies from almost day one of purchasing the businesses that were discussed with other equity groups over lunch as if these printing businesses were meaningless slaves being traded.??

Passion, promotion, motivation, dedication and innovation are all words that built successful printing businesses of the past eg Lilyfield Printing, JS McMillan and many more, such as print entrepreneurs like Bob McMillan and Reg Hammond who inspired their staff and had them fell like it was their businesses too. This is a very special industry with a lot of excellent people who have the drive to succeed without the roadblocks. They know their clients and are passionate about their relationships to deliver service, quality and the can-do, let’s-make-it-happen attitude. YES, we can.

Please for all our sakes, bring back some guys who know what they are talking about. ?

Phil Heaton

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Re: Why Gen Y can’t keep their eyes off print

Great article, Mitchell.
 
I’m hoping at some point that ‘information overload’ is nearly at saturation point and the wheel turns back to improved literacy and numeracy.

Rod Wade