Marvel Binding is expecting to hit the $10m sales mark in the next 12 months, on top of growing by 20 per cent in the last year, after installing a raft of new equipment. The trade binder in Heidelberg West, Victoria, purchased the hard case binding equipment from Docklands Press and Ability Press, in order to become an end-to-end service provider after experiencing some ‘uneasy customers’.

Wayne Eastaugh, managing director of Marvel Binding

Speaking with Australian Printer, managing director of Marvel Binding, Wayne Eastaugh, who opened the company doors in 1986, says he was debt-free and it was time to invest. Eastaugh says, “We basically have been pushed by our customers to provide an all inclusive end-to-end service that does not involve them getting some of their work done somewhere else. “There was some frustration with the clients, who would come to us for 80 per cent of their work and had to go somewhere else for the rest. “And financially we were in a good position as well because we had no debt so it was not going to strain the business to invest nearly $2m on new equipment.” Eastaugh says the other main contributing factor for him to go into debt was to ensure no one else pick up the machines. “We also did not want some new start-up or our competitors to pick up those machines to have made them more competitive,” he says. “This way we have become a one-stop-shop for all binding and finishing work, and printers are ringing us from all around the country, so not only are we getting work from existing customers but also new clients. “Ever our major competitors don’t have the same equipment as us, so we are now the market leader in providing services to our clients.” Marvel Binding has also hired four key staff from M&M Binders which increases its head count to 65 people. Eastaugh says the new machines will also increase profits for a company that faced a tough period two years ago. “We can say that two years ago it was exceptionally tough for us to trade as business was reducing, and overseas as well as local competition was rife,” he says. “But things turned around last year and since then we have grown by 15 to 20 per cent, and I am expecting the annual turn-over to get over the $8m mark to $10m. “I cannot predict the future but from the number of bookings we are getting because of our new investment I am confident that we will reach our target.” Marvel Binding bought a dozen pieces of kit from Docklands and Ability Press including Muller Martini, Kolbus and Hunkeler equipment.

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