Melbourne-based Precision Forme Cutting ceased its business operation at the end of last year, with its owner Alf Puglia going into retirement after 41 years in the industry.

The company, which was a post print and packing specialist with services including forme setting, cutting, gluing, mounting, guillotine and associated services, was established by Puglia in 1990 after he’d gained a few years of industry experience.  

“I started out in our industry in 1982 at 23 years of age by establishing my first business. After six years, I sold my share and left that company,” Puglia told Sprinter.

“I then started Precision Forme Cutting in 1990 and since then have grown the business to the point where I had 28 staff.”

When moving premises to Pascoe Vale in 2009, Puglia invested in a lot of new machines which improved the quality of the work that the company produced.

“Investing in new technology made our life so much easier and I’m very happy to have taken the business to the top of the industry. We had great growth in the last year and have been regarded as one of the few good forme cutting businesses around,” Puglia said.

After more than four decades in business, Puglia then decided it was time to retire. He said he did receive offers for Precision Forme Cutting but “none of them felt right” so decided to cease trading and close shop.

As for his staff, a few of them retired alongside Puglia while the rest joined Print Media, Marvel and other local printers.

The company’s customers were all advised of the move in advance, with Puglia providing them with business alternatives, if they didn’t have them already.

Precision Forme Cutting’s machines will be auctioned in February by National Auctions’ Peter Brand.

Puglia intends to spend his time travelling Australia this year, with plans for a road trip to Darwin and Cape York. Upon returning to Melbourne, he said he intends to build on his collections of coins, comics and model cars.

“After 41 years of running my own business and having achieved more than I ever planned to, I decided it was finally time to retire,” he said.

Puglia was also formerly part of the caretaker committee of the Australian Print Finishers Association, which disbanded in 2013.

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