Tate Hone continues to expand his family’s specialist print trade supplier and embellishment company, Avon Graphics, with a buyout of high-profile Sydney print finisher as part of his strategy to grow through acquisition and investment.
Buoyant and confident in the future of printing and print embellishing, Hone confirms the latest takeover and points towards further acquisitions. He tells of significant investment in high-end heavy metal equipment with a delivery already on the water.
“We’ve invested in heavy metal, buying equipment that ten years ago we thought we’d never buy again. The commercial sector is changing and we’re finding it very interesting at present. Packaging is a growth market for us,” he said.
“It’s amazing how the growth of Australian-made goods for China is increasing demand. The arrival of overseas supermarket chains here is also increasing the demand for high-quality packaging for locally sourced products.”
The Avon Graphics buyout of the Silverwater-based Rotoflex Coatings gives added impetus to industry consolidation in the print-finishing sector. The two companies are close neighbours in the Sydney suburb and while owner Bob Minto is retiring, Chris Cummins, general manager, is staying on to run the business. All staff will remain and according to Hone, it’s “business as usual.”
“Some of the equipment we’ll take across and eventually consolidate the two sites. Other stuff will go to our interstate operations. It’s good for us and it’s good for the industry,” said Hone.
The buyout takes Avon Graphics to over 100 people across the country with further growth anticipated across its traditional print finishing and embellishment complemented with a burgeoning digital wide-format business.
Other developments in the sector sees a sale of Alan Goulburn's Sydney-based All Kotes in February. This follows his divestment of the Melbourne division to Protectaprint last year.