Peter Lane is back at the crease for another innings
In a first for the Association the former national president will take office again after serving in the role in the late 1990s. Commenting that these are tougher times for the industry, he identifies a return to profitability for printers as the primary challenge for Printing Industries and the industry as a whole.
“The conditions facing printers now are very different from those in the late 1990s. Then we were dealing mainly with the introduction of digital printing technology. Now the emphasis has shifted and we have to balance the different technologies, offset and digital, to run profitable businesses,” he said.
“I have complete confidence the industry represents an opportunity for growth, especially for young people as the skills shortage tightens. It is a matter now of operating printing companies in a manner that delivers a good return on investment.”
He makes the point that the cost of investing in printing technology is climbing ever higher and cautions that it is up to the industry to weigh the benefits new investment can provide.
As one of the founding brothers, along with Phillip and Graeme Lane, of successful commercial colour and digital printer, The Lane Group, he is well placed to identify the trends and market forces impacting the industry. The Lane Group is one of the largest privately owned commercial printing and mailing companies in Australia, employing 95 people in offices in Adelaide, Sydney, Canberra and Indonesia.
It is regarded as one of the most high tech graphic arts companies in the industry delivering a full range of services including project management, software programming, graphic design, web services, prepress, offset printing, binding, digital printing, mailing and fulfilment processes.
Peter Lane, who fulfils the management role within the group, has a background in computer programming and earlier this year was awarded the Order of Australia for services to the printing and IT industries.
Other members of the newly elected national executive of Printing Industries are:
Ian Bowden – National Deputy President (SA) Tom Eckersley – national vice-president (Qld)Ainslie Lamb – national honorary secretary (WA) James Bennett – national honorary treasurer (Qld)
In a first for the Association the former national president will take office again after serving in the role in the late 1990s. Commenting that these are tougher times for the industry, he identifies a return to profitability for printers as the primary challenge for Printing Industries and the industry as a whole.