The Australian Print Finishers Association, APFA, is calling it quits after ten years representing the print finishing industry. The decision was made in an unanimous vote at the association’s AGM in Melbourne on Thursday.
Peter Johnston, managing director of Lorimier and APFA president, says, “I guess it’s really a sign of the times. A lot of these smaller industry organisations are run by voluntary members, via committee, and over the last two or three years it has become more difficult, people just don’t have the time to do it anymore. So it became evident that really we didn’t have much choice but to wind it up.”
Chris Palamara, general manager of Allkotes Victoria and treasurer of APFA, says the amalgamation of companies and an increasing number of printers offering finishing services in-house also led to the association’s dwindling numbers and ultimate disbandment.
A lack of interest amongst members about joining the committee was an additional contributing factor. Palamara says, “The committee were the same five members for the past three or four years. We kept asking for new members, and we had one new committee member in the last four years.
“It’s difficult nowadays in businesses like ours, small to medium businesses, to spend time away from looking after our own business. I’m a general manager, so to give up time is quite difficult for my company for me not to be inside the plant or doing sales and so on. I do make the time, but it is difficult.”
Tough times in the printing industry have flowed through to finishing, says Johnston, as the industries are inextricably linked. He says, “They might still print the job, but they may not embellish it. So it may be a bit tougher there. Most finishing business owners I know are now owner-operators, because there’s the necessity to work a bit leaner.”
The possibility of APFA joining the PIAA as a sub-association was considered, but Palamara says the majority of its members are already part of the industry body, and there was a reluctance to double-up membership.
During its decade of operations, APFA sponsored the RMIT Outstanding Apprentice of the Year in Print Finishing award, hosted technical evenings to introduce new equipment and organised industry networking and social events. It was made up of around thirty members, including ten associate suppliers.
In the six months ahead, Johnston says a small subcommittee will take APFA through the winding up process, to be concluded by March 2014.
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