Support from printers helps Graphic Bookbinding bounce back
The Bindery, Inpress Printing and SOS Print and Media come to the rescue for Graphic Bookbinding, whose premises were vandalised three months ago.
According to owner, Emma Freelingos, Graphic Bookbinding is set to be fully operational again by February 2011. The Kingsgrove-based company suffered a major blow when it was vandalised, disabling equipment including two guillotines, three folders, a relatively new saddle stitching line and a Muller Martini Acoro perfect binder.
Having recently lost both her brother and husband (who ran the business), the outrage had a severe effect on Freelingos’ mental health. “It was a shock; I threw up [when I saw the damage],” she said. “I was sick and very depressed. It hasn’t been a good year for us [but] I am determined to keep it going.”
Help came all the way from Melbourne, as The Bindery took some of Graphic Bookbinding’s work on. Freelingos said news that The Bindery was considering a move into Sydney “surprised” her. “We don’t need them here, we have enough competition here now,” she said, citing a recent bindery start-up on Sydney’s north shore.
She did make a point of thanking The Bindery’s Rob Dunnett for all his support. “He helped me a lot and is always there if we need anything,” Freelingos said.
Also happy to lend a hand were fellow Sydney businesses, Inpress Printing and SOS Print and Media, according to Freelingos.
Such displays of support are reasonably common in the competitive world of business and are nothing that Freelingos wouldn’t have done herself if another business was in the same position. When asked if the offers of help surprised her, Freelingos told Print21: “It has and it has not – I have bent over backwards to help others when they were in need.”
There have been no new leads or developments in terms of the bizarre and startling act of vandalism to Graphic Bookbinding, Freelingos said.
Most of the 15 staff are still working with the company. “We work here as a family,” she added.