Former AFI Branding operations manager, Dan Mantel, has explained why he decided to join Matt Ashman’s team at Durst Oceania in a technical sales role.

“I have always respected Matt and the business. I was a client of Durst – so I have been to the factory and been through the installation, training, running the presses, and we always had good experiences – so I saw this as a great opportunity,” Mantel said.

Mantel is a qualified label printer who completed his apprenticeship at Pemara Notting Hill in Melbourne. He also has a background in letterpress, flexographic and conversion.

“I had my apprenticeship lined up straight out of high school in 1999 and I didn’t want to do anything different – printing is in the blood. I noticed the UV technology was coming through and I followed that as I moved into wide format and digital printing. I joined AFI in 2007 as a screen printer and I moved into digital as they installed the first FabriVu in the country. AFI saw digital as a growth area for their business and I grew with it particularly in the years ahead of the Active Display purchase.

“I am a very technical person – so I love UV inkjet and from there I moved into an operational management role at AFI Branding in 2014 – a role that saw me overseeing all of production from print to pre-press to fabrication to dispatch.

“Matt has brought me on board with my experience in labels, textiles and wide format to help the Durst brand grow in Australia from a technical sales perspective.”

Ashman said he was very pleased to hire someone of the calibre of Mantel who is universally respected in the industry.

“Dan is somebody I have known for many years and admired from afar. His experience in the industry from labels through to textiles and wide format is second to none. He is someone who is highly respected in the industry. He is also a good family man that has been looking for a new and different opportunity,” Ashman said.

“Customers and industry alike – when I told them that Dan was working for Durst all said the same thing – that’s a smart hire. What was interesting was that I did my research but I didn’t know he was on the market. We had lunch and a week later we started chatting further and here we are.”

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