CPI, Raleigh, Focus names dropped as BJ Ball takes over

The takeover became official yesterday (16 May), with the company to be renamed BJ Ball Group as of 30 May, with 40 job cuts across the country.

BJ Ball chief executive Andrew Bull (pictured right) told ProPrint: “Due to consolidation, there has been a reduction in numbers in some states.” However, he stressed that the changes would equate to major benefits for customers.

The Australian company will be led by general manager Craig Brown (left), former general manager of Focus Paper, who will report into Andrew Bull, based in New Zealand.

Former Raleigh Paper national sales and marketing manager Peter Friend-Ngui (centre) has become national marketing manager of BJ Ball.

Raleigh Paper general manager Peter Murphy has retired. He is the most recent in a string of senior managers to part ways with the company in the lead-up to the takeover. CPI managing director Bernard Cassell, executive director Denis Goodrem, executive director David Bull and general manager Greg Street are no longer at the business.

The restructure is a move away from the corporate model previously in place at CPI, which was orchestrated out of the Australian HQ in Victoria, and a switch to a state-based system in line with other companies in the group.

Andrew Bull said: “Focus ran their own regions. Raleigh ran their own regions. CPI had more of a corporate structure run out of Braeside.”

He said that the changes would benefit customers. “We have done this to provide customers with a broader range of products. Our sales teams will have all of those products available to them.”

No plans have been announced to reduce the number of products lines, with the exception of some overlaps, such as Raleigh’s Sumo and CPI’s Titan grades, which are the same stock. 

The restructure will affect around 2,000 active customers across Australia. “We want the customers to have a more streamlined experience. We will be going to one truck, one statement, one customer service call, one sales call,” added Bull.

Beyond the three major paper divisions, there has been no change to other subsidiaries in the group. CPI Graphics continues to be run by general manager David Booth, David Browne remains general manager of CPI Inks, Boomerang is headed up by general manager Peter Jolly and Lou Tsoukalas rounds it off as general manager of Edwards Dunlop Office Products.

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