Page 20 - Print 21 July-August 2019
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Cover Feature
Fiscal responsibility
Underlying all the Starleaton Vision is the drive to do business in a fair and ethical manner. Ultimately it is the point of differentiation Eaton wants for his company. He sees it
as a generational shift away from the ‘win at all costs’ mentality of businesses operating under the burden of short-term revenue goals and quarterly reporting. Scathing of some business practices inside and outside the industry, he is quickly gaining a reputation as a straight talker who tells it as it is.
“There are some vendors telling printers they can make money charging ridiculously low square meter rates. It makes my blood boil as the printer is often looking to the vendor to offer commercial advice. When I challenge these calculations with a simple ‘how?’ The answer is all too often ‘ you simply need to invest in more capacity, ensure you have large amounts of guaranteed work monthly, make sure the machine never breaks down, and the operator turns up every day.
“Some customers drink that up and then they’re under pressure from day one of their purchase. Often
the customer is not only securing their purchase with their house, but also putting their family life on the line. I don’t mind being the devil’s advocate when it comes to reminding the hardware manufacturers that
we don’t always need more capacity. You can’t expect to keep delivering an exponential number of machines every year into the market. And forcing machines into sites on ink-loaded investment plans is not always the best path forward. This message is more often than not ill received but the fact is, it’s true.
“I want to sell machines, don’t get me wrong. But if the machines aren’t being utilised you’ve got a stressed customer who’s not paying bills,
and they’re not buying consumables anyway as at times there’s just not the capacity requirement.
“I’ve sat with customers who’ve been presented some of these deals.
I explain to them that if their business actually performs and grows they’re going to pay two or three times what the equipment is worth. The manufacturers are not stupid; they’re making money. But it’s not right. If the deal fails they simply just pick that machine up and move
it to some other site. As suppliers of equipment we need to be responsible with whom we sell product to.”
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Influencing the world
Whether he’s sitting with customers discussing the facts of commercial life, inspiring and motivating the Starleaton team, debating with
the banks or passionately arguing
for better business terms from
major corporations, Ben Eaton is earning a growing reputation as an ‘influencer,’ someone out to change the way business is done. It’s a role that seems destined to take him onto a larger stage.
“There’s nothing wrong with competition and there‘s plenty of business out there to be had. But it doesn’t have to be the absolute dog eat dog environment that it’s been. I want to be competing against businesses that hold themselves to the same
high values as we do. Business can be fun as well. We’re here for the long term. I’m looking at what the business will be like not just for the next generation, but the one after that.”
“There are some vendors telling printers they can make money charging ridiculously low square meter rates. It makes my blood boil as the printer is often looking to the vendor to offer commercial advice.”
He believes the transmission
of ethical values is a challenge
for the industry. In the midst of continuing takeovers and mergers it’s vital that structures are in place to maintain integrity.
“There’s a real lack of succession when it comes to leadership in the industry. That’s going to be one of the real challenges over the next five to ten years. I challenge my competition on how well they are planning to ensure the values and what they stand for are translated down the ranks. When you’ve got big changes of ownership, it’s very difficult.”
Always an engaged and committed industry activist, Eaton spends a
lot of time working on industry organisations. He’s a board member of Visual Connections. It gives him
a different perspective and the opportunity to put into broader practice the ethics that define him.
“When I take off my Starleaton hat and put on the Visual Connections hat I want to see everybody in the industry doing well. If you’re going be here, you might as well be doing well. I say, let’s do it well together.”
And that’s how he likes to do business. 21
Peter Eaton
celebrated
Family businesses are by nature generational enterprises and Starleaton is no exception. Founded by Peter Eaton, (pictured above with wife Lea) who opened the company in 1978, it began by importing heat-seal laminating and dry mounting adhesive sheets to the Australian professional photography and graphic display industries.
“We felt there was an opportunity to provide better service and continuity of supply, so we invested in a few pallets of CSL products and the market responded
by supporting us because we reinvested in stock and could keep up with the demand,” Eaton recounted.
In the intervening four decades of growth, a move into wide-format equipment, software and colour management has helped create the contemporary nationwide Starleaton enterprise. Four years ago Peter Eaton retired from day-to-day operations confidently leaving sons Ben and Josh along with daughter, Melissa, at the helm.
In March this year Peter was pleasantly surprised when he arrived at a black-tie function with wife Lea, only to find he was the guest of honour. The company had turned out to recognise his contribution.
“It was a humbling moment. I felt very honoured,” he said. That turns out to be one of the benefits of being not only
the founder, but also the literal father of the enterprise.


































































































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