Böttcher Australia is celebrating ten years in the Australian printing industry
Time flies – it was 10 years ago that the company’s local director, Mitch Mulligan, laid the foundation stones for the establishment of Böttcher Australia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Felix Böttcher, located in Cologne, Germany.After spending a month in Germany being trained in the ways of Böttcher processes and technology, Mulligan began local operations in March 1998 from the lounge room of his home, taking on his first employee to sit at the other end of the lounge room table in the following months.
Mulligan says, “From there it was to our first office and warehouse facility located in Bridge Street Rydalmere, which we soon outgrew and we then moved to our current Castle Hill location in 2001, installing our blanket converting facility at the same time.
“When Böttcher Australia started, it was with the promise that the industry would directly benefit from Böttcher's entry into the local market by raising the bar, and that the local team would work hard to bring about positive changes in the press room to the advantage of printers, owners and shareholders.
“We’ve achieved this through the appropriate application of technology and solutions aimed at minimising the consumption of raw materials and the impact on the environment whilst simultaneously maximising productivity.”
Over the 10 years, the company and its offerings have grown considerably and it now has a solid stable of customers and market-leading products in rollers, blankets and press chemistry.
Böttcher Australia has remained true to its original goal of adding value to the local industry through the application and introduction of best practices, the right solutions and technical support. Over time, these have been proven to provide significant benefits to customers and partners Australia-wide.
The company now has a family of 16 highly-valued and appreciated employees nationally, many of whom have been with the company between five and eight years. During this time, the company has also established offices interstate in Victoria and Queensland. Sales manager, Adam Todd, has been with the company for eight years and manages a national sales team of six experienced sales people. Angela Hall has also been with the company for eight years and manages an enthusiastic team of four staff, while Mark George, business development manager, has been with the company for seven years as southern region manager.
Over the past ten years, New Zealand customers have also been well-served and supported by NZ distributor, Nova Inks & Chemicals, under the watchful guidance of managing director Allen Walbridge’s direction, Blair Welch as general manager and Andrew Wilkinson’s stewardship and product management.
“Being a company that is committed to service, strong technical ability and know-how, Nova has proven to be a fantastic partner and a natural fit with Böttcher and its leading technical products,” says Mulligan.
“Now in our tenth year we are working harder then ever to continue to lead the way in terms of innovation and application through our unique Böttcher Print + Systems approach to the market.
“As part of this business model, we are focusing keenly on helping our customers achieve their key objectives and maintain a competitive edge through the introduction of the latest technologies and sustainable systems.
“One of the key areas of focus for Böttcher, our staff and our applied technologies and products is in reducing the environmental impact of the industry and demonstrating the positive triple-bottom line impact the adoption of sound practices will have on our customers’ business and the environment.”
Areas in which Böttcher Australia is committed to helping its customers reach their strategic goals include delivering:
• the direct operational savings inherent in using original German-developed products;
• evaluations and implementation of environmental initiatives and practices;
• sound technical support and advice;
• global knowledge with local capabilities
• best practices across all elements of print production; and
• education and the sharing of knowledge.
After a decade of growth, development and constant change, Mitch Mulligan is confident about what the future holds for the company. He says, “Reaching 10 years is testimony to the hard work and dedication of our staff and the support of our loyal customer base. I'd like to thank everybody who has contributed to our company’s success over the past ten years and I look forward with excitement to the next decade.
“Whatever happens, it is sure to be a stimulating and absorbing time to be involved in the local print industry and I feel proud that Böttcher Australia has achieved so much and will continue to be an important part of it.”
