Page 47 - Print21 November-December 2021

Profile
Smartcomm invests
in new smart print and mail centre
Queensland mailhouse Smartcomm is making its biggest ever investment, spending in excess of $5m on a new smart factory that is fully air-conditioned, and on new equipment to up its production capacity.
With a background in business mailing, Rod Peirce had a good idea of how
he wanted to run a business when he set up his own back in 2006, and since then his vision and acumen have seen the business on a continuous growth curve.
The 15-year-old business has just fitted out its new premises in Yatala, located halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and transferred all staff and equipment from its previous premises in Tingalpa,
with the new plant now fully operational. The company offers both conventional and digital mail solutions.
Managing director Rod Peirce says, “We see a bright future for printed mail. All the studies show it is effective. We have clients who have gone to digital and now come back
to mail. Our clients are benefitting from their mail, it is a proven communication channel.
"We are investing for the future here, and we believe this major investment in Queensland mailing will prove more than worthwhile, and will stand the industry in good stead for years to come.”
Former Salmat exec Peirce started the business in 2006, operating
from a 150sqm premises serving
the needs of three printers. The
new premises with purpose fit-out buildings are 2,125sqm, and can accommodate 1150 pallets in the fully air-conditioned warehouse, a far cry from the 50 pallets it handled in the first premises.
Smartcomm is now one of the top three mailing houses in Queensland, and prides itself on continually trying to bring innovative solutions and services to its blue chip customers.
Smartcomm runs Fujifilm Business Innovation digital printers, monochrome and colour, and Kern inserting and mailing lines. The move to the new premises has seen the company investing in a new Versant 3100i digital colour press.
Peirce says, “I have been with Fujifilm BI Australia from the
start of my company. I value the relationship. My old boss Peter Mattick said to me that your suppliers are as important as your customers. Fujifilm BI Australia has been with me since the start, it has been a great partnership, and I have always installed its machines, which have delivered on quality and productivity.
“The new Versant 3100i Press gives us a capacity boost at a time
Top Major investment: Smartcomm’s new factory
Above Mailing future: Rod Peirce
when we are experiencing growth. We know we will be able to rely on it.”
The Versant 3100i Press has
a print speed of 100 pages per minute, and 2,400 dpi output resolution. It can also handle a wide variety of paper types (long, heavyweight) and caters to diverse needs on fast turn-around when handling multiple applications, with, colour consistency and colour accuracy.
It joins four other Fujifilm Business Innovation digital printers, and a continuous feed inkjet press that the company installed when
it bought IQ Mail last year. Peirce says, “We are fully equipped for all types of jobs. The cutsheet and reel fed printers, the Kern inserting
and finishing give us the capability to handle anything the market demands.”
Smartcomm has customers small and large in the local and national space servicing verticals in the financial, superannuation, councils, government, not for profit sectors. Along with print and mailing Smartcomm offers an increasing range of services including IT, digital integration, scanning and archiving, warehouse management and distribution, and is still growing its services. 21
Print21 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 47