Dean Cox will step down from his role as business development manager at ECO3 Oceania later this month, concluding almost 30 years in the industry.
Cox began his career as a photographer in the military before joining Intertan Australia as a pre-press manager and senior photographer, where he managed imaging for all printed media, including magazines, newspapers, and corporate materials.
After 10 years, Cox was approached by Agfa and he joined the company in 1998 as a technical sales representative. He took on various sales roles throughout his 27-year tenure at Agfa, including during its transition to ECO3 – formerly Agfa Offset Solutions – which rebranded in April 2023.
“I’ve been with Agfa for the past 27 years in a variety of sales roles. Over that time, I’ve worked across pre-press, computer-to-plate, film, digital scanning, and digital imaging. I also became involved in the large format sector when we had that division, managing the Queensland and New Zealand regions before COVID hit,” Cox said.
“In the early 2000s, I also took on a part-time teaching role with TAFE at Western Sydney University. We had sold some computer-to-plate devices to TAFE, and they asked if I’d be interested in teaching. That led to me running classes two nights a week for a couple of years teaching desktop publishing and plate making.”
According to Cox, his career highlights have included international travel, including attending two drupa tradeshows, and his long-standing customer relationships.
“I’ve been to two drupa tradeshows – that was fantastic. I also travelled to China as part of a training team for Agfa, which was a great experience. But I think the real highlight has been working with the same customers for more than 20 years,” he said.
“Our most loyal customers have done business with us for 27 years.
“I sold Imagination Graphics their first imagesetter when they had just started out, and they’re still going strong today. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to maintain relationships with customers who’ve moved on to different businesses. I’ve followed them throughout their careers and been able to support them in growing their businesses.
“I’ve always placed a strong emphasis on customer service. For me, it’s more than just delivering a box – it’s about helping their businesses survive and thrive.
“I’m always encouraging customers to explore different areas of print in their businesses because there’s so much more to it than just ink on paper. And there are some truly amazing people in this industry. There are so many smart, capable business leaders driving it forward.
“I think the print industry offers so many opportunities. It’s such an incredibly diverse and multi-faceted industry.
“There’s always growth, and it’s constantly evolving, which is what makes it so exciting. The industry is always exploring new opportunities, and that’s what keeps me passionate about it. I’ve helped customers print everything from credit cards and scratchies to packaging – there’s such a wide gamut of work out there.”
Reflecting on the future, Cox – who has served in the Air Force Reserve for the last five years and plans to continue in that role – said he is unsure what lies ahead.
“It’s going to be a big shift. I’ve been so entrenched in the industry for so long, so it’ll take some rethinking. But customers have been lovely, saying, ‘Please keep in touch’. I’ve still got the same phone number, so those relationships will continue.”
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