Looking forwards, looking back: turns 125 and opens a new office
Guests included the Minister for Industry & State Development, major projects and small business, Theo Theophanous; local member and minister for gaming, minister for consumer affairs and minister assisting the premier on multicultural affairs, Daniel Andrews; Printing Industries CEO, Philip Andersen and Victorian regional president Ray Keen; executive director of the office of manufacturing and service industries - department of innovation, industry and regional development, Ray Doyle; director of strategic communications of the department of premier and cabinet, Andrew Hockley; program manager - general manufacturing and service industries, Department of Innovation Industry and Regional Development, Warwick Andree.
The who's who continued with current regional councillors Alan Ferguson, Steve Strang, Roy Aldrich, Peter Barker, Daniel Lewin, Mannie Stub, Mark Randles and Mark Reid; former Victorian region Presidents, Rob Perkins, Joan Daniels, Mike Sinnott, Roy Aldrich, Peter Barker and Owen King. Industry history was also encapsulated by William and Alastair Troedel of William Troedel & Company Pty Ltd representing five generations of printing.
Michael Isaachsen of the Melbourne Museum of Printing brought one of the museum's historical printing presses, a miniature platen press, and with museum volunteers composed type for a souvenir leaflet. Guests were invited to print their own souvenir - printing-on-demand 19th century-style.
Looking to the future, Minister Theophanous congratulated Printing Industries on its vision for the industry with its "impressive" new premises and said that representing printers in Victoria for 125 years was not just a testament to the strength of the organisation and the industry, but also reflected, ". . . the strength of democracy, as print is, so often, the means by which the people access information and points of view."
Ray Keen spoke briefly about the illustrious history of Printing Industries (formerly PATEFA) and said that many of the previous presidents gracing the honour board had become legends of the industry.
Guest speakers Ken Williams; managing director of Excel Australasia & Simon Fitzgerald national sales manager digital print (commercial division) of KODAK, provided insights to guide businesses to future success by finding solutions for their customers - embracing technology and looking for opportunities or areas to add value.
Williams said the market needed more than print, it needed solutions much of which could be delivered by printers through technology.
Fitzgerald said the move towards digital printing should be viewed more as an opportunity than a threat. He said that in 2005 that less than 3 per cent of printers were running digital based business. Statistics show that by 2020 that more than 48 per cent of the major players will be involved in digital printing.
Victorian general manager, Ron Patterson, described the combined event as a huge success and thanked the government representatives, industry identities and staff for their co-operation.
"This was an exceptional event inspired by exceptional people from an exceptional industry," he said.
Pictured: (left to right) (l-r) Printing Industries general manager Victoria and Tasmania, Ron Patterson; minister for industry & state development, major projects and small business, Theo Theophanous; Victorian regional president Ray Keen and local member and minister for gaming, minister for consumer affairs and minister assisting the Premier on multicultural affairs, Daniel Andrews
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