EASTAUGH SELLS MARVEL TO OPUS GROUP

Australia’s major trade binding operation, Marvel Bookbinding, is in new hands, with owner and founder Wayne Eastaugh selling the business to Opus Group, the country's biggest book printer.

However, it will be business as usual for Marvel and its customers, as well as for printers around the country. Marvel will continue to operate as Australia's major trade binding operation. Eastaugh said, "Opus will run Marvel in exactly the same way that it currently operates, as a trade binding service, with the same services, the same staff, in the same location and the same equipment, our customers will not notice any change. The Marvel clients will continue to be fully supported, now and into the future."

For Opus Group, the acquisition gives it ownership of a case binding line in Victoria, to go with those it runs in Adelaide and Sydney, as well as a whole host of additional binding and finishing solutions, and staff expertise. Opus and Marvel have had a long term relationship.

Eastaugh said the motivation for the sale was from multiple factors, including the benefits of consolidation, easier management of the increased levels of peaks and troughs in the trade, and as part of a growth strategy.

Eastaugh founded the business, based in Melbourne, almost 40 years ago, in 1986, and led it to become the largest trade binder in the country. It became the only one of a major size remaining when Sydney Binders pulled the plug after Covid started five years ago. That came just a year after major trade house The Bindery had gone into liquidation. A decade ago, Marvel took all the hard case binding assets from Docklands/Ability Press as it restructured.

Eastaugh’s son Richard Eastaugh became general manager of Marvel two years ago, and will remain in the role under the new ownership. Wayne Eastaugh, who celebrates his 67th birthday on Saturday, will continue to be involved. All 45 staff at Marvel will similarly continue in their roles.

Opus Group includes Ligare in Sydney, CanPrint in Canberra, McPherson’s Printing in Maryborough and Griffin Press in South Australia. It is the largest book printing company in Australia with group executive chairman  Richard Celarc at the helm.

Marvel serves printers from coast-to-coast, such is the array of its equipment that for many, it is effectively their only option. The operation can have in excess of 100 jobs going through the factory at any one time.

Marvel offers virtually every kind of binding, with hard case binding, section sewing, PUR binding perfect binding and saddle stitching. It also has a major folding operation, offering conventional book folding, roll fold, concertina fold, map fold and crash fold. It has a significant direct mail production offering, with U Glue, hot and cold latex, fugitive glue, time perforation, and folding. The company also provides a host of other services to the trade, including shrink wrapping, hot foil embossing, drilling, guillotining, round cornering, and handwork.