Richard Rasmussen (pictured), director of Ascent Partners, wraps up the final month of the 2013 financial year, as the local printing industry farewells one of its most tumultuous years and welcomes the coming of FY14.
Financial year 2013 will perhaps be remembered as the industry’s most tumultuous in terms of the volumes of consolidation and closures.
The year ended with the announcement that two of Japan’s largest press manufacturers, Ryobi and Mitsubishi, were to merge on 1 January 2014. 
Other supplier news included EFI acquiring another company, this time Gam Systems Software in Belgium. Paperlinx Denmark acquired Cadorit, a Swedish Digital provider.
Locally in NSW, 120 jobs went as a result of the PMP Chullora NSW directory plant closure. Southern Colour (NSW) changed shareholding and name to Oxygen and Peachy Print moved into and Megacolour’s building. Pro Pac Packaging was active on the acquisition front, purchasing Eco Food Pack Aust, Australian Flexographic Printers and Poly Products Co.
Also in NSW, we saw Print Master NSW go into liquidation and Active Print Wagga Wagga, purchase a Signarama franchise.
In Victoria we saw perhaps Melbourne’s longest standing printer, William Troedel & Co. (Charles Troedel formed Melbourne’s first lithographic printer in 1860), along with Troedel – Docucopy, a company they formed when they merged with Docucopy 12 months ago, both go into liquidation.
On a brighter note, Digital Print HQ opened their new business and Signarama opened a store in Geelong. Excel also announced they purchased a Thai software developer, Devsenses.
In Queensland, creditor’s meetings for voluntary creditor’s liquidations were planned for Impulse Printing and Graphic Litho.
Machinery – Sales and Installations
Further machinery sales and installations followed on from last month’s PacPrint exhibition, and numerous sales were obviously made of used equipment from the Geon auctions (unfortunately they are not all listed here).
Aust - EFI announced it was to install the browser based Printsmith MIS system to around 100 Kwik Kopy franchises.
NT – News Limited installed a new Ferag Inserting line.
QLD – Lotsa Printing purchased a HP FB 500 UV flatbed.
NSW – Megacolour installed a new Heidelberg CD 102 -6, SOS purchased two HP Indigo 7500s from the Geon auction, and Doggets announced their NSW and VIC branch would each install a Marquip Ward United TSKM 1650 sheeter.
VIC – Quite a lot of digital equipment was sold and / or installed – Vital Signs (Roland DG Solijet Pro 4 XR-640), new start Digital HQ (Xerox D110, and J75 and Epson Surecolor SCT 7000), Grace Engineering (Oce Arizona 480 XT UV Flatbed), Landells Signs (via Spicers, two x Vutek GS 3250 LX Pro), Bull DSP ( via DES a Vutek GS 2000 LX), ADS Australia (Roland DG XF 640 printer and GX 640 Cutter), Label House purchased the HP Indigo WS 6600 and a Smag Galaxie Digital converter and finally Press Print Digital purchased a Rigo Lamibind 420 PUR perfect binder.
SA – Screen sold a Flexo PlateRite FX 8700 II CtP to Signature Labels
WA – Evoke Media purchased a Fujifilm Acuity LED 1600, and Scott Printing purchased a used HP Indigo 5000 digital press.
Ascent Partners Market Watch provides a summary and web links for most of these stories on their web site, www.ascentpartners.com.au. Here you will also find a list of six print related businesses it is currently marketing for sale.