Business

Australia-based Positive Camtec Pty Ltd has appointed long term Technical Director, Philip Trumble, as its new Managing Director.

Following a career span of more than 15 years with Positive Camtec, Philip has great experience in all facets of the industry – technical, applications and sales.  He comments, "In an ever changing economic climate and rapidly developing industry there will be many challenges ahead for all businesses. I look forward to working with my team to overcome these challenges and continue our growth as a company.  The team we have built at Positive Camtec comprises individuals with high-level product and technical competence right across our diverse industry. Combine this with a first-rate product range and we have an exceptional offering to the market.”

Positive Camtec is the exclusive distributor for swissQprint and Teckwin UV flatbed printing systems, Sensient sublimation ink and Transjet sublimation paper. It is one of the few Roland dealers to be both Sales and Service Certified and is also an Epson reseller. Positive Camtec has long been renowned for its high-level technical service and support and is a specialist in offering integrated solutions for the signage, display graphics and printing industries.

Ray Clarke, former Managing Director, has stepped down due to family commitments.  He adds, “It has been a pleasure serving as Managing Director of Positive Camtec over the past 20 years.  We have cemented ourselves as a leading supplier in the industry and I am very proud of the achievements of our close knit team.  I fully support Philip in his new role and have full confidence in his commitment and abilities.”

Ray has provided invaluable leadership and direction over the past 20 years is still associated with the company in a consultative role.

Displayways Ltd has been sold by Wendy Richards to new investors Rob Kelly and Peter Sheldrick for an undisclosed sum of money.

Displayways, a South London based visual consultancy and large format graphics production business, provides solutions for the retail, interior, visitor centre, event and museum markets. The business was incorporated in 1991 by Wendy Richards with the aim to deliver a service and quality based proposition. The business has since produced work for brands and businesses such as Prada, Hasbro, Science Museum, National Air Traffic Services and Seiko, and has built a reputation for expert support for designers and marketers alike.

Wendy Richards comments, “Displayways has been a great success story and I am extremely proud of what we have achieved over the years, but it is time to move on.  I will of course miss the many special people that I have had the pleasure and honour to have worked with, clients, staff and suppliers.  The individuals that are taking the business over are well known and respected in the industry. I have no doubt that they will take the business on to new levels for the benefit of them all. I may well remain as a consultant to provide some continuity. I would like to thank all the clients that have supported me in the past and I wish all concerned success and prosperity.”

Rob Kelly will take over as Managing Director and Peter Sheldrick will become Operations Director.  Rob Kelly adds, “I am excited to be involved with such a well respected business. It will be my aim to build upon the great work done by Wendy and her team. I have no doubt that Displayways current solid business will provide a great platform from which we can grow to become the market leader we have the ambition to be.”

Peter Sheldrick concludes, “Displayways has been successful over the years because they have always provided solutions, service and quality, at the bespoke end of display production this approach is what the customer needs, someone to rely upon. We will continue with these values and aim to grow our market share by outperforming our competition in these areas.”

Xerox Corporation is the latest company to join Verdigris, the not-for-profit print environmental research initiative, as a Founder Member. Xerox joins Agfa, Canon, drupa, EcoPrint, EFI, Fespa, Fujifilm, HP, Pragati, Ricoh, Unity Publishing and Xeikon as Verdigris supporters.

Verdigris helps print buyers, printers and publishers evaluate the carbon footprint of print and electronic media, from the point of file creation via production to final distribution, use and disposal.  The goal is to raise awareness of print’s capabilities in reducing environmental impact through cooperative content development shared with an international network of trade publishers.

“At Xerox, sustainability is our way of doing business,” says Gina R. Testa, vice president, Graphic Communications Industry, Xerox.  “We have identified five key areas where we can make a positive impact across our worldwide value chain: energy reduction, preserving biodiversity, preserving clean air and water, preventing and managing waste, and ensuring health and safety.  In all these areas, Verdigris plays a role in dispelling myths about print’s impact by helping the print industry present a coordinated, well-argued and well-documented case for print as a medium of choice.”

Welcoming Xerox to the Verdigris project, founder Laurel Brunner says, “We’re delighted that Xerox is on board for several reasons.  The support of such a recognised brand validates and lends weight to what we are doing, while the financial support that our Founder Members provide ensures we can continue the work, as well as helping us develop new initiatives.”

Launched at drupa in 2008, Verdigris provides free research and content on a regular basis to a global network of 39 influential publications in 33 countries.  Participants in the project can use Verdigris content to educate their printing communities about print’s environmental impact, and to help raise print’s positive profile.  Verdigris content—which is independently managed by people who know and understand print technology— explores and analyses the issues facing publishers and printers to help them manage their carbon footprints, while continuing to conduct a profitable business.  Verdigris is also a major contributor to the development of ISO 16759, the standard for measuring the carbon footprint of print media products.

The Verdigris website provides a single point of reference, not only to access Verdigris data and information about other environmental developments, but also for links to other useful environmental websites. The Verdigris site also has a growing list of the world’s printers compliant to ISO 14001, the environmental management standard.

The awarding organisation created by Walsall College, Accredited Skills for Industry (asfi), is currently celebrating its ability to meet industry demands, after 24 students have successfully achieved the organisation’s first full qualification in digital print. 

Asfi is dedicated to creating bespoke qualifications in conjunction with industry and employers, providing training and qualifications that are tailored to employer demands. 

The awarding organisation has worked in conjunction with several companies, including Accord Housing and Roland DG, to develop short, nationally recognised and accredited qualifications, delivered largely in the workplace. 

The asfi ‘Award in Basic Principles of Large Format Digital Printing’ course is the first full qualification the organisation has accredited and meets specific training needs within the signmaking industry. Created in conjunction with global wide format printer manufacturer, Roland DG (UK), the new course aims to promote quality digital print and professional and safe conduct within the digital print environment. 

Students were formally recognised for their achievements during an award ceremony at Walsall College’s Jerome’s Restaurant on Monday 2nd July. 

Carl Jordan, Director of asfi says, “We are delighted to be celebrating the success of students on our first full qualification. Asfi works with businesses to create recognised training through units and qualifications that are tailored to meet specific employer and industry skill needs.”

Gillian Montanaro, Head of Marketing of Roland DG (UK) adds, “Working with Walsall College and Accredited Skills for Industry, individuals are able to keep up with the fast moving technology within the Signmaking and Graphics industry. Students are able to attend training programmes that keep their skills set up to date and enable them to get hands-on wide format print production experience.”

Amongst the 24 successful candidates included a group of Walsall College Graphic Design students, who took the course to experience the production and reprographics side of design first hand, and begin to understand what it takes to realise and produce their creative ideas. 

Graphics tutor at Walsall College, Kevin Myler concludes, “In today’s competitive job market, the need to obtain as many design related qualifications and first-hand experience is essential to maximise their employability prospects. Future employers want to see real desire and ambition in anybody they take on, and we feel this makes a step in this direction. This qualification is part of new initiatives within the department of Graphic Design that aim to engage the learners with employers and industry standard resources.”

[photo shows some of the successful students with their certificates]

Robert Horne Group’s expert knowledge ensured that UK-based Tara Signs was ready to reach the challenges of high rise signage manufacturing and installation. 

With over 40 years experience in the industry, Tara Signs manufactures large scale corporate signs for blue chip companies right down to smaller customised signs for local businesses. The company was commissioned to supply corporate signage for J P Morgan. The brief was to produce two sets of 3.5 metre high built-up logos for installation on the North and South elevation of its new 502 feet high office building in Canary Wharf, London.

Challenge

With a requirement to engineer and install the signage solution at this extreme height, this project was challenging. Tara Signs is one of a few companies in the UK with expertise in managing projects where signage is required in high rise buildings and was able to demonstrate its experience on this unique project.

Quality was paramount to Tara Signs; it needed to produce the signage using materials that were reliable, resilient and long lasting. After all, installing the lettering and illuminating it, would be futile, if the materials used were not fit for purpose.

Solution

Tara Signs wanted to develop both a solution and a working prototype to present to its client and having worked with Robert Horne Group for many years, consulted with the materials supplier for expert advice.

Robert Horne’s team of polycarbonate experts worked with Tara Signs’ sales manager, Marc Finnegan, demonstrated the range of material solutions available and recommended the best product for the job in hand, taking into account the unique requirements for this highly specialised signage solution. 

This complex project required a unique, robust solution and Robert Horne recommended using LEXAN OPAL SG3050B 5mm micron media as the polycarbonate of choice. 

“Robert Horne Group helped us by recommending the best substrate solution that would meet the exact requirements of a very specific brief. We needed a strong, durable polycarbonate with excellent bright whiteness and illumination. Robert Horne’s proactive approach, its recommendation of LEXAN OPAL and ability to supply samples that enabled us to create a prototype solution, played a significant part in Tara Signs securing this unique project,”  says Marc Finnegan.

Key Benefits

LEXAN OPAL has all the properties required for the job in hand, including strength, a brighter white colour when illuminated and excellent diffusion, eliminating hot spots. LEXAN OPAL is virtually unbreakable, extremely strong and designed to withstand high winds and weather extremes making it an ideal solution for this high rise building where these are major factors.

Robert Horne provided Tara Signs with samples of LEXAN OPAL as well as a light box to demonstrate its superior appearance. This enabled the company to produce a working prototype of the recommended solution to demonstrate to J P Morgan the unique diffusion illuminating properties and the brighter white of this polycarbonate when combined with LED lighting.

Creating a prototype was paramount in securing the deal as - after seeing the solution first hand - J P Morgan commissioned the project which was delivered by Tara Signs. 

Working in partnership, Robert Horne and Tara Signs calculated and evaluated other LEXAN OPAL product factors such as weight restrictions and drilling compatibility, during both the manufacturing and installation processes.  The consultative approach, support and expert materials advice provided by Robert Horne ensured that Tara Signs delivered this six month project to the highest standards and met the requirements of the designers, architects and engineers employed by both the end client and within Tara Signs own skilled team. For example, using the calculations specified by the structural engineer, Tara Signs was able to illustrate that LEXAN OPAL had the strength to withstand the wind factor, even where the thin serif on the logo type face reached a minimum size.

“Brand image was always paramount to the client - especially in such a high profile location - and we were delighted with the representation and superior illumination of the logos on the new offices. Robert Horne Group delivered a first class product and service,” concludes Marc.

For more information on Robert Horne Group, please visit www.roberthorne.co.uk

[Photos above and below show the installation at J P Morgan]

Chelsea Football Club's return home after a last-minute win over Bayern München in the EUFA Champions League was celebrated in style with the help of Avery Dennison.  Vehicle graphics specialists Totally Dynamic wrapped the two team buses which formed the focal point of the victory parade which took place in the streets of London. 

Time was of the essence, as the Chelsea players returned from Germany to their London home the very next day following the match.  Totally Dynamic had less than 24 hours to complete the job, and  Scott Coleman, owner of Totally Dynamic’s north and south London franchises, had to work through the night with his team to deliver the two fully-wrapped buses in time for the victory parade.  

He explains, "We had to start wrapping the buses before the game actually started on Saturday as it would have been impossible to have completed the project otherwise. We were all listening to the Champions League match live on the radio as we worked, and were absolutely dreading the penalty shoot out at the end."   

It was just as well the team took the risk of starting early, as Chelsea won a last-ditch victory.  Scott Coleman was able to make a selection from his company’s extensive stocks of Avery Dennison wrapping and marking films to meet the brief and commented, "The printability and ease of application of the films helped us to meet the deadline and deliver two perfectly-wrapped buses."

For more information on Totally Dynamic, please visit www.totally-dynamic.co.uk

For more information on Avery Dennison films, please visit www.europe.averygraphics.com.