Avon beefs up Sydney services with Cello acquisition

Avon Graphics is purchasing Gladesville-based finishing business Cello Central to expand its Sydney services.

Cello Central, which specialises in celloglazing and also offers die cutting services, will transfer its equipment to Avon’s Silverwater site before the end of the year.

Tate Hone, sales manager with Avon Graphics, says, “We are trying to create that one-stop shop so people do not have to run around town to get a job finished, they can come to one location.

“We have spent a lot of time and effort with our Melbourne branch in getting it running the way we want, and we felt that it was time to start applying that mentality to our Sydney branch.

“In Sydney and Brisbane we currently do foil stamping and embossing, but in Melbourne we also offer laminating, flexo UV, screen UV, forme cutting, laser cutting and a few other things. We thought the first step for our Sydney branch is to get into laminating.”

Karl Illek, co-founder and director of the family business, which has been operating for seven years, will join Avon in Sydney and continue to manage the specialist celloglazing work.

Illek says the move to sell the business follows partner Peter Jones’ decision to retire at the end of the year. Illek tells Australian Printer, “We came up with the mutual decision that selling would be the best for both of us. I felt that I wasn’t really able to continue with Cello Central on my own and take it to where it needs to go. The best thing was to look for a buyer from outside.

“In joining our business with Avon we are becoming an under-the-one-roof multi-service provider, which is good for our customers. Our customers will hopefully look into the foiling and embossing that Avon provides, and hopefully Avon customers will take on the celloglazing they will now be offering.

“We expect the growth to be positive. It’s all win-win.”

Illek adds that he is looking forward to joining the Avon Sydney team of 15 floor staff and learning the stamping and embossing side of the business, while imparting his celloglazing knowledge.

Hone says, “Karl will be training some of our staff in laminating, and will be remaining as manager of the laminating section. Really for the Cello Central client base it is business as usual, just with expanded offerings.

Cello Central has been up and running since 2006, with three staff, two celloglazers and a die cutter. The company survived the global financial crisis by running reasonably lean and without major overheads, says Illek, but saw a lot of printing customers go broke.

Illek says, “One door closes, another door opens. It is the best outcome for us. There were other outcomes which we didn’t want to entertain, so this is a good move.”

Hone adds, “With this acquisition we felt that we could offer a broader range of services for our existing clients, but also with Cello Central’s clients, it will be a good fit for our business.

“We are open to acquisitions. We feel it is part of the rationalisation of the printing industry.”

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