Carsten Wendler (pictured), managing director, takes over the Australian and NZ printing and packaging supply business, renaming it Print & Pack Pty Ltd.
This was the name of the original company that Wendler joined in 1996 as the packaging equipment business development manager. At the time it was the local operating agent for a wide range of high-end press and packaging brands including Man Roland. Ferrostaal, the German-based trading subsidiary of the MAN Group, had equity in the company and it eventually took complete control in the late1990s.
In the succeeding years, Wendler has cultivated a definitive profile in the packaging industry where he is recognised for his knowledge of products and processes. In the process he has succeeded in making Bobst the benchmark die-cutter and specialty folder gluer for Australia and New Zealand, ensuring the Swiss brand is the de-facto standard against which all others are measured.
He also witnessed the byzantine changes that reflected the turbulent times of the industry. The MAN Group exited the international and local scene, Ferrostaal decide to exercise naming rights over the local company, Komori presses replaced MAN Roland in the product line-up and last but not least, there were the antics of numerous managing directors for the business who came and went.
Throughout it all Wendler not only survived but also continued to hone his expertise in specifying, supplying and installing packaging equipment, taking responsibility for increasing the company’s range of packaging products. He makes the point that his part of the company always operated efficiently.
Three years ago he was appointed managing director of Ferrostaal Australia following a turbulent time when the business seemed to lose its way. On taking control he set about re-orienting the company, slimming it down to match the market conditions of the industry, winnowing an unwieldy product line-up and importantly bringing it back into profit.
With an intimate knowledge of the company’s day-to-day operations and finances he was in a good position to make a call when the German owners approached him this year encouraging discussion on a management buyout. They had decided that local ownership, able to operate without reference to European decision-making, would better serve the brands and the customers.
Wendler took the plunge five months ago, keeping his takeover of the company secret from all except his major customers and suppliers until he had completed the rebranding. 
The buyout is a welcome return to local ownership of one of the key suppliers to the market. While the new company remains the agent for some of the industry’s highest profile printing brands, such as Komori presses, Bobst, Kolbus and Morgana, much of its product range is focused on products for the packaging industry.
The new company has a complement of 25 people, eight of them electro-mechanical engineers servicing the considerable installed base across Australia and New Zealand. Wendler assures his printing and packaging customers of continued dedication to their requirements. He is committed to providing a world-class service to the local industry.