Technology and commercial transformations of the market often catch printers on the wrong foot. Stuck with the wrong type of equipment while serving a market segment that is disappearing can present real problems. For Kelvin Gage, Dominion Print, the demands of the marketplace and the advent of new technology are less warnings of what’s to come but rather signposts towards future success. He spoke with Patrick Howard about how he relates to printing in the internet age.
One of the first people Kelvin Gage employed when he took over Dominion Print, the family printing business in the early 1990s, was a graphic designer. As a marketing graduate, it made sense to him to provide design services to customers wanting print. Quite a cool hand at QuarkXpress himself at the time, he knew that customers expected more from their supplier than someone to simply print their marketing material; they wanted help in creating it, maintaining and updating their campaigns.
It’s difficult to overestimate the impact that early hiring decision has had on the company and its subsequent development. It provided a solid foundation not only of design but also for online development and communication. Creating and maintaining marketing collateral for clients required early and ongoing investment in IT, which has become a hallmark of the company. Nowadays at least 50% of the work that goes through the Silverwater, NSW, plant comes through its own vertically integrated graphic services. This includes brochures, adverts, catalogues, placards and business cards; all created and shared online.
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HP’s presentation at this year’s drupa reinforced his loyalty to the HP brand and the company. “Look at the culture, at its commitment to the whole HP Indigo environment. They also give you great practical support here through Curries. David Currie is very accessible; you can always get through to him. The staff are friendly and efficient. Success is about forming good relationships,” he said.
He was so impressed by the combination that he made the decision at drupa to upgrade to the HP Indigo 7800, a defining investment for a printer not known for being seduced by printing technology. “It’s a great machine. I’m very pleased with it,” he said.
Read the full story here in the latest issue of Print21 magazine.