ALL OVER FOR LISMORE CITY PRINTERY AS FLOODS WREAK HAVOC

By Wayne Robinson | 4 March 2022

The devastating floods that smashed through a large area of northern NSW and south east Queensland have wreaked havoc on offset and digital house Lismore City Printery, spelling the end for the 70-year-old business.

*Floods wreck business: Lismore City Printery*

The company’s four-colour and two-colour offset presses, and its three digital presses, were located in an extension which had been built at a higher level than the rest of the offices, higher in fact than the highest ever recorded flood, but this week’s floods rose three metres higher than even that, reaching the extension that housed the machinery, leaving the equipment useless.

*Watch and wait: Shaun McGuiness, owner of Lismore City Printery, could only watch on as floods overwhelmed the business*

Unfortunately the company was prevented from taking out flood insurance, due to its location, which is why it built the high-up extension for its equipment.

Owner Shaun McGuiness has been with the family business, which was established in 1952, for almost 50 years. Now Helen Cameron, 2IC at the company, said, “It is the end for us. The premises are 100 per cent under water. We watched it on the security cameras as it was happening until the power went, there was nothing we could do. Once the levee broke it was all over the building in 30 minutes.

"We have had to tell our 14 staff they don’t have a job any more, and we are the only printer in town. They will all receive their full entitlements, but that is little comfort now the business is gone."

Smashed: Inside the Lismore City Printery — *Smashed: Inside what's left of Lismore City Printery*

As well as the printing equipment the company’s finishing kit including its PUR binder and its collator have also been destroyed. All artwork has gone, although the company is hoping to salvage some files from its hard drives, which were full of water.

McGuiness has not been dwelling on his misfortune though, he is already proactively working to make sure his customers are being looked after, sending jobs on order to other printers around the coast. Lismore City Printery worked with a host of local customers, and had some major accounts with health bodies.

Click on the video below to see the gut wrenching moment no printer ever wants to have to face.