According to Jeremiah Johnson, a man’s worth can be reckoned by the stature of his enemies and while it might be pushing it to ever describe Andrew Price and Bob McMillan as enemies, they were once fiercest competitors in the early days of print management.
But it was all sweetness and light when the two came together at Price’s 50th birthday party at the Pelicano Bar in Sydney’s Double Bay last Saturday.
Andrew Price’s 50th birthday bash turned out to be a significant gathering of the printing industry’s great and good (and not so good). Just up from Melbourne where he presided over PaperlinX’s annual general meeting on Friday, Price took time out to celebrate his half-century before flying back to London to continue culling the company's top-heavy European numbers.
Surrounded by family and friends the one-time king of print management and founder of Stream Solutions was in fine form, as he enjoyed a tribute from David Leach, Look Print (index photo) that detailed many of the highs and lows of a chequered career in printing. Once famous as the man printers loved to hate for his hard-nosed print management style, Price came across as a catalyst for change in the industry.
When it came to replying to the birthday wishes, he singled out Bob McMillan as his béte noir in the days of their rivalry, the individual who was always ahead of him in the burgeoning print management business. McMillan was a pioneer in the sector, using his McMillan Printing as a foundation to introduce end-to-end print management across many industry sectors. It heralded a turbulent time of change for the industry, much of which is still reverberating.
“You were always one step ahead of me, no matter what I did. Having to compete with you made me into a better business man,” said Price is a heartfelt tribute to the man who is now a firm friend.
It just goes to show, even print managers have a heart.