The Queensland printing industry took the opportunity late in October to shine the spotlight on the best and finest of its industry at the Printing Industries Craftsmanship Awards (PICAs) in a ceremony held at the Brisbane Sheraton Hotel. While every award winner had a reason to stand up and take a bow, special mention must be given to Platypus Graphics, which picked up five gold, seven silver and eight bronze PICAs, narrowly pipping Inprint, with five gold, six silver and six bronze.
Two other award-winners were given extra recognition by the PIAA and the Queensland Government. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for State Development and Innovation Linda Lavarch presented Queensland Complete Printing Services and Scanlon Printing Company with Business Excellence and Innovation Awards, the first of such awards.
The Queensland branch of the PIAA launched the awards recognising that the Queensland printing industry is more than just applying ink to a substrate. The Region sought to acknowledge that there were highly successful businesses in the Industry that have a strong belief and strategy of where the business’ future lies, apply high level strategies of engagement with customers, employees and supply companies and which achieve sound financial performance.
Lavarch says the Business Excellence and Innovation Awards were introduced to emphasise the need for printing businesses to continue to innovate and employ strong management practices.
“The printing industry is one that’s constantly facing rapid technological change, and businesses need to be at the forefront of change in order to remain competitive” she says.
Andrea Marsh, PICA chairman, says this development in the Queensland PICAs makes it a red-letter year for the programme.
“In its short 11 year history the Queensland PICAs have achieved a reputation to which many other industry events can only aspire. Over the years we have celebrated the excellence of the printed product, and even if we as individual businesses and PICA entrants didn’t win we had a great time trying and a great time celebrating other successes,” says Marsh.
“So it is with much pride that I preside as PICA chairman in an auspicious year in the development of the Queensland PICA’s. I congratulate all our entrants, our winners and the whole of the Queensland printing industry on a job well done.”
