Page 62 - Print21 November-December 2022

Associations
2022: C’mon, it wasn’t all bad
PrintNZ CEO Ruth Cobb looks back over a year which had as many
of the Year (Mandy Nilsson from Blue Star Constellation), Training Company of the Year (PSI Brands) and Pride In Print Supreme Award winner (Logick Print) were all outstanding examples of just what can be achieved if you focus on getting the job done.
The opportunity for the wider industry to attend these events and honour the amazing people and work that are our industry, was a real highlight and a
step back into that feeling of normality. These events always make me feel so proud to be part of this industry.
Not long after these celebrations quite a few Kiwis crossed the ditch to Melbourne to attend the first trade show to be held in this part of the world for three years. People were excited about being able to attend a show, look at the offerings from suppliers and catch up with colleagues in the industry, with our Kiwi night being a huge success. There was also plenty of business written up at the show, a
sign that business continues
to move on, and people are investing in the future.
While Covid was the prevalent issue in the first part of the year, business adapted to the requirements and continued to make headway.
The second half of the year however has brought another set of challenges in the shape of inflation, labour shortages and continued supply chain issues, all of which are inter- dependent and for which there is no easy fix.
We hear stories every day
of the multiple vacancies
that businesses have and
the difficulties of recruiting both onshore and offshore. But I have been impressed
by the way our members are handling these issues and their resourcefulness in ensuring they can keep going. This has also resulted in an upsurge
in apprentices on offer in our industry, and while it is not an immediate fix, it will be a solid part of the long term solution.
As we hurtle through the last part of 2022 and head into the year of the rabbit, here’s hoping we can all pull something out of the hat for 2023. It has been a pleasure
to be part of your team and we thank you for supporting us sothatwecandowhatwedo best – supporting the industry. We are committed to adapting to whatever comes our way and providing our members with the best possible service and support. From the team at PrintNZ have a safe and happy holiday season. 21
ighlights as lowlights.
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past 12 months, and while it
has again been a year that has presented complex challenges, it is important to look back on where we have succeeded. While the challenges may dominate our thoughts at times, they will shape what we do in the future and often lead to outcomes
that we had not predicted
or expected, despite or even because of the current situation.
As an industry association there was plenty we were able
to achieve during the year, and much of this was enveloped in person to person interaction
as restrictions eased. For our PrintNZ team it has been
great to once again be able to visit members and have the opportunity to re-engage with them in person and discuss
the issues they are facing. This has been vital to ensuring that we continue to focus our work where it is required and to target the assistance we provide.
A great example of this
was the sale of 25,000 Rat
kits in the first quarter of the year. We worked with one of our members who provided
us access to these for the industry, and they were vital to streamlining workplaces, and making sure that those staff that were coming to work were safe to do so.
With restrictions easing just in time we were once again able to celebrate the best that our industry produces – both in products and people – with our graduations, Apprentice
of the Year Awards, Trainer of the Year Awards and Pride In Print Awards. The judges were again spoiled for choice and our Apprentice of the Year (Kosema Fuiono from Blue Star Collard), Trainer
Proud: Ruth Cobb, CEO, PrintNZ
“The opportunity for the wider industry to attend these events, and honour the amazing people and work that are our industry, was a real highlight and a step back into that feeling of normality. These events always make me feel so proud to be part of this industry.”
e have reached that time of year when we reflect on the events of the
Pride in Print: Highlight of the year
62 Print21 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022