QLM Label Makers continued its recent expansion strategy with the acquisition of long-term trading partner and leading Western Australian labels business, Label Magic. The new business will be rebranded as QLM Label Makers, Perth.
“Label Magic has a long history in the WA print industry and we are very excited to formally have them as part of the QLM Group,” says Simon Pugh, CEO QLM Group. “We have worked with Sandy [Bullied, director Label Magic] and the team for many years and we were looking for ways to grow both businesses. We worked out that collectively we would be able to provide more opportunities for both clients and the teams.”
Bullied, who runs the business with husband and fellow director Dennis, says merging with QLM was a natural progression. “We have been working with QLM for so long we were part of the family, but as trade partners there were some limitations, particularly in the areas of large scale manufacturing. By merging, we see some real opportunities in this area.”
Bullied says QLM’s Pugh became a friend and mentor after she set up the Perth business in 2007. “People tell me I was the first female print owner in Perth. I didn’t know a lot about the industry at the time and faced a steep learning curve but I kept running into Simon at industry seminars and trade shows and he became a mentor.
“We’ve continued to develop our business relationship over the years and in recent times they were manufacturing most of our work. Eventually, we decommissioned our presses and sold them off and became something of a broker, while maintaining trade arrangements with about three printers in Perth.”
QLM’s Australian general manager, Andrew Siwicki, says Label Magic and QLM are a perfect fit. “Their strong values and local team have made the ability to combine seamless. Our recent upgrades to machinery in both large scale flexo and HP Indigo digital will be able to provide cost-effective solutions to the WA market, all backed up by a strong local team.”
Brisbane-based QLM Group has branches in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and now Perth. It employs over 100 staff locally and more than 600 staff across eight sites in seven countries around Asia Pacific.
The company last week opened a new $A1.5 million purpose-built garment label factory in the Cambodia capital, Phnom Penh.
In May, QLM completed a $2.5 million equipment upgrade by installing three new Mark Andy flexo label presses in Brisbane and adding finishing technology to its HP Indigo digital platform in Melbourne.