Page 24 - Print21 Magazine March April 2021
P. 24

                Print Profile
      Standard-bearer for
wide-format print
Trailblazers face uncertain futures. The price of being an early adopter of untested technology can be high, even when balanced against the benefits of an early start. Keith Ferrel and Nigel Spicer have staked their careers on taking risks with new unproven equipment. Their ongoing success is encouragement for all prepared to have a go, reports Patrick Howard.
Deciding what to bet your production future on has never been easy. History is littered with defunct and failed printing
technologies. The wrong investment can cost you your business; the decision to go with a dead-end technology leaves you with nowhere to go. Even picking the right method at the wrong time, too early or too late, can seriously derail the best of companies.
That’s why early adopters are
few and far between, even in the Australian/ NZ printing industry, recognised worldwide for its appetite for innovation. While there are undoubted benefits of getting the jump on your competitors, the downside can be catastrophic.
When making these investment decisions you can’t leave your fate
in the hands of the marketing departments of equipment manufacturers. The reality always lies behind the hype and often it’s far from pretty. The only way for would- be early adopters to go is to do their own research and testing. Which is where Keith Ferrel and Nigel Spicer of Cactus Imaging come in.
Master and apprentice
There may be two more enthusiastic mavens for new technology in the industry, but I doubt it. In their couple of decades at the helm of NSW’s leading wide format printing business, Silverwater-based Cactus Imaging, Ferrel and Spicer have amassed a stunning list of world and Australian firsts in new technology. In their field of expertise – wide format inkjet – they have built an impressive track record, which is still a work in progress, as the technology matures and develops.
If there’s a hint of master and
24   Print21 MARCH/APRIL 2021
Right
Techno trailblazers: Keith Ferrel (left) and Nigel Spicer are confident in their choices for Cactus Imaging
apprentice about their relationship, it only adds to the effectiveness
of their operation. Ferrel may be the éminence grise with the title
of general manager – operations, but Spicer has the general manager responsibility of making sure it
all works for the owner, outdoor advertising giant, Ooh Media.
What they share is an obvious passion for exploring new frontiers, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in printing and in overall production. Meeting them in the spacious Silverwater factory is a lesson in benefits of early adoption, provided it’s leavened with expertise, backed by detailed research.
      “We posted a very good result last year. The market stayed strong for us. You have to take your hat off to the people at Ooh Media. They rallied the marketplace exceptionally well in tough times and we rode on the back of that.” — Nigel Spicer
“New technology is challenging. There’s always a risk in the unknown but we’re prepared to buy the technology that suits our customers’ requirements. We treat it as a partnership between the manufacturer and us. If there’s something wrong we’ll tell them, we won’t throw it back at them, we work together to solve the problem,” says Ferrel.
It’s an approach that often surprises the brands when the Cactus pair comes on to the stand at a trade show. Their detailed lists of problems and potential solutions have resulted in many alterations and improvements to some of the industry’s highest profile technologies. Expecting complaints, the manufacturers are pleased to discover their Australian customer is well versed in the pitfalls of bringing new technologies to
market, and is prepared to help. “Trade shows are important for
us. We get to see the prototypes that may not be ready for a year or two but we’re able to check them out. At shows we sometimes inspect every machine on the floor. We do our homework before and we back ourselves when it comes to new technology. And we haven’t had a dud yet,” said Ferrel.
Brand agnostic
A distinguishing feature of the Cactus Imaging factory is the range of wide format equipment brands on the floor. Notably there are no solvent
ink machines in the array. Ferrel was an early adopter of more eco- and employee-friendly systems. Cactus hasn’t operated a solvent machine
in over 20 years. When I first visited many years ago it was almost accepted that the company was a HP shop,
but no longer. There are still two HP Latex 3000 that, according to Ferrel, “never stop.” In addition, there’s the sole remaining HP Scitex Turbo in Australia [see box story].
But these now share the limelight with a massive Durst Rho 512R, bought four years ago. It’s dedicated
     


































































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