Meet Shaun Pearce:
Chairman of AFTA

I came to Melbourne from Maryborough (Vic) just over twenty years ago. I was fortunate enough for Finewrap to employ me in their ink room where I learnt colour matching and ink room control.

After two years of mixing inks I was offered an apprenticeship as a printing machinist. Upon the completion of my apprenticeship I left Finewrap and joined ABM Plastics, I changed companies mainly to lose the tag of “apprentice” and to spread my wings as such. In my seven years at ABM I held several positions, Printer, Supervisor and Print Manager.

"The AFTA is actually being run more like a business than ever before and has really developed into a sharing of technical knowledge."

A stint at Containers Packaging (now Amcor Flexibles Moorabbin) was the next step in my career. During this time I witnessed the closure of four manufacturing sites (1 in Melb, 2 in Syd and 1 in Adelaide) and having them integrated into one. Overseeing the printing department, my task was to develop and harness their printing abilities and knowledge on the technical side.

To avoid being pigeon-holed in printing and prepress management and to expand my general management skills, I took the position of Production Manager, which grew into Operations
Manager after two years, with P.C.C. (Paper Converting Company) in Newcastle NSW. This position involved me in specialty bag manufacture, mono and co-extrusion, recycling of polyethylene as well as 8-colour printing.

After a four-year stint in Newcastle my family and I returned to Melbourne to take a position with Espak Australia.

Plant Manager, at Espak’s Moorabbin site is my current role. Each move I’ve made during my career I’ve had to learn a new aspect of the industry. Espak was no different, with the site capable of UV and solvent-based inline and C.I. Flexo and Letterpress printing, shrink film manufacture and self-adhesive labels.

This is my second year on the Council and first year as Chairman.

Being a council member gives me the opportunity to give something back to the industry that has been very good to me. I’d like the AFTA to continue in its current direction. I have a passion for the industry and intend to see the AFTA maintain its growth. Over the past 3 to 4 years, the AFTA Council has ensured themagazine has grown into a great read with relevant technical information, advertisements and general market information. Membership has increased and so has the attendance at the annual forums. The re-introduction of the workshops and the participation in them has highlighted missed opportunities of the past.

New awards have been introduced and are well-received and the print award entries continue to grow. The AFTA is actually being run more like a business than ever before and has really developed into a sharing of technical knowledge. There are plenty of areas that could be explored or re-visited in our workshops, the magazine or during the Forum and all recommendations or suggestions will be considered, EBA’s, safety, environmental issues, training and versatility of companies, have all been highlighted as possible areas to do features on. The last 3 to 5 years shows there is a merging of wide, narrow and mid range flexo printing in the one company and our customers demand us to be more flexible and versatile these days.

The AFTA needs to get closer to other organisations, international suppliers and end-users. We are all targeting new markets we wouldn’t have thought possible 10 years ago, the end-users aren’t looking to a company to provide them with a specialty any more - they are looking to companies who can supply diverse partnerships and new opportunities. Our challenge is to keep up and pre-empt their demands.”

Previous Comments from the Chairman:

1. Meet Shaun Pearce: Chairman of AFTA
2. The Rewards of being an AFTA Member (November 2002)
3. The countdown to the forum has begun!
4. Chairman's report: Where has the year gone?
5. Chairman's report
6. IT'S BEEN A GREAT YEAR FOR AFTA!