• New leadership team steps up DIC packaging business 

  

  DIC ANZ refreshes its senior line-up as veteran Steve Parker steps down as DIC New Zealand general manager. Australia’s Meredith Darke crosses the Tasman to take up the mantle from July 1, a move set to grow the company’s market stake and drive business in the packaging sector.

• Gallus to integrate Fujifilm inkjet in new label press 

  

  Iconic label brand will manufacture a hybrid flexo-inkjet press to be showcased at its St Gallen factory post-LabelExpo. The company has made a decision not participate for the first time in LabelExpo Chicago in September, preferring to introduce its new technology at its factory in Switzerland.

• Record SX52 install saves the day for Newcastle printer 

  

  A major press breakdown can spell disaster for a busy printer, but for the team at WHO Printing it was into an opportunity. Thanks to quick thinking and a record-fast install of a brand new Heidelberg SX52, the Newcastle print shop is back on track and even kicked up productivity.

• Hero Print super-powered with new Komori GL-540 

  

  Heavy metal is still earning its keep out there, as a new Komori comes on stream at Hero Print. The brand new five-colour Green Lithrone press takes the pressure off the Sydney factory’s flagship ten-colour Komori and powers up its super-reflexes for lightning fast turnarounds.

• HP Indigo aims for 10% of flexible packaging and folding cartons 

  

  The push towards digital printing in the packaging and label industry is driving the development of HP Indigo’s presses, a market tipped to be worth $8 billion to the technology giant. Two years on from the launch at drupa the B2 presses are up and running at beta sites.

• Peter Sage tagged for LATMA hall of fame 

  

  Label luminaries packed into the LATMA Label Awards and Conference 2014 in Kiama to celebrate the industry’s best in class. Special mention goes out to awards chairman Peter Sage who was inducted into the LATMA Hall of Fame in recognition of his years of service and support.

• BB Print goes platinum at new Paget plant 

  

  Central Queensland’s BB Print has upscaled its digital footprint as it moves into new custom premises at Paget’s Platinum Court. Set to punch up turnarounds and further improve services for the company’s valued clientele, the new siteallows BB Print to expand as work continues to grow.

• Country harvest for Currie in Victoria 

  

  Stepping into the Currie mobile showroom in Bendigo proved a decisive moment for the Mulqueen Brothers from Bendigo as Bernie Robinson showed them the latest in Horizon finishing equipment.

• Winds of change – Paul Whitehead comes back for Canon, Michael Kinninmont steps down 

  

  Four years at Océ Canon HQ in Venlo, Netherlands, as International Business Development manager gave Paul Whitehead a unique perspective on the changes taking place in the company.

• EFI Fiery Go app-eals to mobile market 

  

  EFI launches the first mobile print job management app on the market, Fiery Go. The debut of the free iOS app means users are only ever a screen swipe away from their workflow, Fiery Go is able to interface with any Fiery Driven printer directly from an iPad.

• Web-to-Print leader scores $2.6 million 

  

  Chris Zapris wins handsomely in the competitive, merit-based Government grant programme to supercharge growth at his PMI Imageworks enterprise in Melbourne’s Moreland.

• 100-year old Tasmanian printer is looking to the future 

  

  Last year, Monotone Art Printers in Hobart celebrated its centenary, making it one of the oldest print shops in the country – but recently the company came together to celebrate the future rather than the past to welcome two new Future Print apprentices to the fold.

• National Print Awards go for a McFeast full of laughs 

  

  Engaging, funny and all-found fabulous, Libby Gorr is a hard hitter in the worlds of humour, broadcasting and performance – and she’s bringing her talents to this year’s National Print Awards. John Wanless, Chairman of the 31st National Print Awards, announced this week that Gorr will host the Awards.

• Ricoh Australia & Lanier integration creates $450 million high-tech IT company 

  

  The move comes as both companies move aggressively into the document management services and IT sector. John Hall, managing director of Lanier, will leave the business following the integration.

• Richard Rasmussen Market Watch – March 2014 

  

  Who did what? Who bought who? And who bought what? Richard Rasmussen, director of Ascent Partners, peers into the past month as part of his ongoing watch over mergers, acquisitions, sales and closures, as well as the latest news on major machinery sales and installations.

• How it goes on April 1– EFI Announces Revolutionary 4D Printing Technology 

  

  Research staff at EFI have developed a new technology and framework for 4D printing. EFI’s new 4D VUTEk printer combines photopolymer additive inkjet printing with a concept-stage EFI Fiery digital front end running PrintFlow scheduling software to control time coordinates.

• Kwik Kopy picks up two Vic stores from liquidation 

  

  The franchise moves swiftly to limit damage following the failure of the Fitzroy and St Kilda stores last week. David Bell, CEO, affirms his belief in the ongoing viability of the businesses.

• $700 million merger of Blue Star & IPMG is set to create a mega printing business 

  

  Australia’s largest printer to emerge from the marriage between the printing operations of the Hannan and Selig family businesses.

• Ipex 2014 Farewell – Celebrating the London show at Print21 ANZ party 

  

  Andrew Price and Andy Vels Jensen, the well-known Aussie PaperlinX UK management duo, were among the guests at the Print21 Australian & New Zealand party near the end of the London show.

• The IPEX Investigator – Part 2 

  

  The Ipex organisers have come good with the attendance figures for the London show. At 22,768, which includes 3,532 exhibitors, with a geographical visitor split of 54% UK and 46% international, it’s not too bad. Trevor Crawford, director, says the show is the blueprint for the future of print centric events. He could very well be right, because I don’t think drupa will escape the reshuffle.