INDUSTRY LEADER TOM LUSCH PASSES AWAY

Print has been paying tribute to Tom Lusch, founder of multi-award winning Platypus Print Packaging, which he built from scratch to become the biggest folding carton printer in Queensland, who has passed away.

Lusch was a pioneer, an innovator, a strong advocate for the industry, and generous in his support of the local print community, more than happy to help peers, and rivals, when called on.

He died peacefully at his home, surrounded by his family, succumbing to the cancer he had lived with in good grace and fortitude.

The Lusch family extended an invitation to loved ones, family and friends to the funeral service. For those who were unable to attend the service was livestreamed.

A celebration of life was held after the service, at Kedron Wavell Services Club, 21 Kittyhawk Drive, Chermside.

Print forums have been awash with industry identities sharing the many times Lusch helped them, and commenting on the character of a man widely regarded as an inspiration.

One of his sons, Platypus director Aaron Lusch, said, "Dad's success came from his ability to progress and adapt. He was always looking to move ahead, unafraid to try new things, some of which worked out, and some didn't. He pushed the envelope, staying ahead of the curve.

“He was known as a bit of a character, but was modest about his achievements. He was always ready to help others in the industry, and was very well regarded as a result."

Lusch founded Platypus forty years ago, as a letterpress print operation under his house, quickly specialising in foil and embellishment, the name emblematic of his desire to keep manufacturing in Australia. Today the company has 130 staff, operating from a 10,000sqm facility, and is the biggest folding carton packaging print business in the Sunshine State.

From its early, inauspicious, beginnings, he led the company to serious growth, to the point where it became one of the premier offset printers in SE Queensland, before showing his keen understanding of market development, successfully adding packaging printing to the mix years before most other commercial printers saw the opportunity, with folding carton printing eventually becoming almost all the work of the company.

Aaron Lusch said, “Dad’s approach was to say yes to everything, even areas that he didn’t know as much about as he would have liked, then he would work it out as he went along, and develop the expertise necessary.”

Lusch was aiming for Platypus to become the nation’s biggest independent folding carton printer. His investment was in top-of-the-range equipment from the likes of ManRoland and Koenig & Bauer for his presses, and Bobst for the finishing equipment. In 2021 Platypus became the first company in the Asia Pacific region to upgrade to Kodak’s new cloud-based printing workflow platform, Prinergy On Demand, and it became the first Australian operator to install the new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 X.

Lusch stepped back from day-to-day operations during Covid, with two of his six children, Aaron and Tim, taking the reins, after having worked for the business for 20 and 14 years respectively, both taking an equity stake in the business in 2021, and becoming directors along with their father. The business is currently undergoing an $8m investment programme.

Thomas Claude Lusch began his career in print in 1972, taking a  trade certificate in letterpress printing, with an apprenticeship at Spectator Publishing Co in Melbourne, gaining the certificate four years later. In 1979 he moved to Queensland, becoming an estimator at Inprint, and three years later started Platypus, mostly foil stamping on a small hand platen, while keeping his job at Inprint.

While working full-time all day, Platypus printed at night and on weekends. In 1984 Platypus acquired a Heidelberg Platen, and set it up underneath the Lusch family home in Geebung, then a short time later Lusch resigned from Inprint to work full time with Platypus.

Platypus went on to become Queensland’s most awarded printing company, and printer of choice to many of Brisbane’s leading advertising and design agencies.

In 1999, in a strategic move, Platypus acquired McNiven’s Packaging and all the machinery, Six years later Platypus installed a Roland 700 six-colour with coater press, which allowed the business to grow its packaging division. At the time packaging accounted for around 10 per cent of the business. The Roland was initially bought to handle work for just one brewery client, which went on to make up about 40 per cent of the business, until the contract suddenly stopped, forcing Platypus to find far more clients. Today folding carton print represents 98 per cent of the company’s revenue.

In 2015 Platypus relocated from seven factories to a single 10,000sqm site in Geebung. Five years later the company had become the biggest folding carton manufacturer in Queensland.

Vale Tom Lusch.