PMP Printing takes the prize for largest drupa sale

Craig Amos, director of operations, PMP, and John Nichols, general manager engineering PMP, clinched the deal at Düsseldorf during the show. Although no exact figures are being released the press deal will take most of the $125 million equipment investment announced by David Kirk, ceo last month. Along with suitable Ferag finishing systems they represent a powerful addition to the commercial web situation in Australia.

(Standing from left) Dietmar Zutt, MAN Roland Web Press Sales; John Nichols, PMP Print; Jonathan Clark, Managing Director of Intergrafica Print & Pack Australia Pty Ltd.; (sitting from left) Gerd Finkbeiner, Chairman of the Board of MAN Roland; Craig Amos, PMP Print during the contract signing ceremony.

PMP already has two 64-page Lithomans, one each in Sydney and Melbourne where the two large new presses are slated to join them. Two of the 32-page presses, which can be duplexed to operate as a 64-page machine, are likely to go in to Brisbane. There is still debate about the location of the remaining two.

“The important thing is to get the iron under way. Other decisions can follow in time,” said Craig Amos at drupa. “We are a market facing company now. The presses will be installed as a response to the needs of our customers. It’s about being able to service the market in a timely fashion.”

He points to trends that predict South-East Queensland will be a larger market than Victoria in 20 years time, also describing the Sydney market for commercial heat set products as "insatiable.”

PMP is the major supplier of the rapidly growing retail catalogue market, while the entire heatset web sector is expanding at three to four percent per annum. The company recently won a three-year Woolworth’s contract worth $20 million.

Because PMP Print produces over 50 per cent of the total heat set web market in Australia the additional 300 tonne per year capacity from the presses can justify David Kirk’s description of the contribution as “a modest increase.”

“We are servicing customers with national requirements every week who need consistency of product and reliability of production. It is important that we have sufficient capacity to meet their demands,” said Amos. The new presses will allow a rationalisation of the company’s press fleet, triggering a cascading effect as equipment is moved around through the various sites of the largest printer in the region. Undoubtedly there will be a considerable amount of kit eventually placed on the market.

The decision to go with MAN Roland product came only after what is described as a “robust process” even though the cooperation between the two companies goes back 40 years. The press specifications were a joint development over three years and are designed to provide maximum flexibility. According to Amos the average print run length in the sector is around 70,000 copies, so it is important to be able to maximise the equipment’s potential.

The presses, which are scheduled for delivery mid-next year, make PMP into MAN Roland’s largest commercial web customer in the world. According to Jonathan Clarke, managing director of IPP Print & Pack Australasia, there will be an installation team of upwards of 40 MAN Roland technicians required to get the presses up and running.

“The PMP people know what they are doing, they have a lot of experience in this area. We will have the required level of resources to make sure it all happens as it should,” he said.