AVERY DENNISON OPENS TRAINING CENTRE

Avery Dennison has opened a new national training and innovation centre for the wrapping industry, located at its five-star environmental distribution centre in Brisbane.

The new 300sqm facility will aim to attract up to 600 people a year, from Australia, New Zealand, and the wider Asia Pacific region, to learn the ins and outs of both basic and advanced wrapping, with Avery saying both the business and retail wrap markets are in growth mode, as is the architecture business.

The new training centre has two wet and two dry wrapping bays, it has a large Hexagrid lighting system to ensure any issues on the wrap are easily seen, and it has swing out glass walls. It is equipped with both a Mimaki and HP Latex printer, and a Kahl laminating system. There will be training courses in Supreme Wrapping, Paint Protection and Window Tinting.

Certified installers will be able to do fleet and customisation wrapping, protection wrapping, architectural wrapping and general signage. Avery Dennsion supplies films for printed graphics, as well as specialist films such as those which change colour, along with films for paint protection, window tinting, as well as architectural films.

Hailing the opening as a new dawn for wrapping, Chris Kilgour, graphics manager Asia Pacific, told guests at the opening cermony that, “This is a major investment for Avery Dennison in the industry. It will provide training for industry throughout the region. The concept and drive has come from the ANZ team at Avery Dennison.”

Jordan Leach, business director, Graphic Solutions said, “It is the first Avery Dennison centre of its kind in the Asia Pacific. Training has been an important part of the Avery Dennison proposition since it first entered the market in 1995. This dedicated well-equipped facility is a major step forward.”

Since it began training industry professionals in wrapping techniques, some 13,000 Australians have been through the Avery Dennison wrap programme, until now the workshops have been held at distributors' venues such as Graphic Art Mart and Spandex, and at partner companies.

In addition to training wrappers already working in the graphic arts field, Avery Dennison is looking into developing the new facility as a training centre for people seeking a pathway into the wrapping industry.

Avery Dennison is a US$9bn company, with US$6.5bn from its materials division and US$2.5bn from its solutions division. It operates from two sites in Australia; Melbourne and Brisbane.