The German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and Print Media Group (PMG) were delighted to welcome more than 40 guests to a Watch us Work event in Heidelberg West on March 21, 2019.
Hosted by our National Corporate Member PMG, guests were greeted by Tina Thoms, the Chamber’s Membership Director, and Melbourne Branch Manager. She thanked our attending Premium Partners Mercedes-Benz and Siemens and of course PMG for their kind support before handing over to Paul Rushton, General Manager Manufacturing at PMG, who initiated a tour of the manufacturing premises.
Guests were organised in small groups and were treated to an extensive tour of the impressive factory. Visitors could witness where old meets new, with equipment reaching from very old printing machines manufactured in Heidelberg, Germany, to offset printing and state-of-the-art digital printing machines. The extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff explained the range of products that are being printed at the facility, and how much detail goes into some of the products, from innovative, scented food labels to complex products such as passport applications and parking permits, where various adhesives need to be applied in multiple steps. The shift towards digital printing also became apparent.
Following the tour, guests were invited to the tearoom, where Leo Moio, Managing Director at PMG, gave a short overview of the printing company’s long history. It was founded in 1892, and during that time has only experienced two changes in ownership. PMG prides itself in operating like the family business that it truly is, and has an impressively low turnover of staff. The friendly atmosphere among the people who work there and their passion for what they do was palpable. Quite contrary to what some people believed, print was far from dead, Leo assured us – increasing demand for items like product labels was just one example for how the industry continues to evolve and thrive. Leo then invited our guests to a beautiful spread, giving everyone an opportunity to mix and mingle while enjoying some delicious food in a relaxed atmosphere.
Again, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to PMG for hosting this insightful event, and to all the employees who provided us with an exclusive look behind the scenes – and of course to our members who took time out of their busy schedule to attend. We look forward to seeing everyone again at one of our upcoming events!