Manroland has appointed Steve Dunwell to the role of managing director of its Australasian operations. Manroland Australasia assumed responsibility for sales, marketing and services for the entire manroland product range in the Asia Pacific at the start of June, opening offices in Sydney and Melbourne in the process.

The company’s longstanding representative relationship with MAN Ferrostaal has been discontinued across the world.

Dunwell comes to the role at a challenging time. While current economic conditions provide a challenge all their own, he will also face a market in which the Roland (or manroland) name has lost some traction in the last few years, and will need great dedication to turn that around.

But the industry knows well that Steve Dunwell has never shirked a challenge, and he himself is confident that the time is right for both the company and himself. He leaves behind a six-year tenure as NSW manager at the Currie Group, and he told ProPrint that that relationship has concluded in good spirit.

“I was six years at Curries, a great company to work with,” he said. “They have a great range of products and a good mix of people, so it’s hard to leave, but the opportunity with manroland is just too good to pass up, and I’m really excited by it.

“I’m leaving Curries with $6 million in forward orders, since PacPrint. So that’s a fantastic position for me to go. It makes me feel good, and leaves Curries in a great position.”

The task of selling offset presses into a tight and highly competitive market during a downturn will be a daunting one, but Dunwell is not fazed by it.

“Life’s not meant to be easy! It will be tough, but there are opportunities out there. They [manroland] are definitely the market leader by a long shot in the web press market, and we have to keep our focus on that area so that we take advantage of all the opportunities we need to to maintain that market dominance.

“On the sheetfed side they’ve probably lost their way a bit, and that’s one reason why worldwide they’re going direct into many countries now, and are doing so here now, so they are in control of their own products and their own destiny.

“They have some fantastic products in the sheetfed area and they can do really well in certain sectors of that market, and that’s where we need to focus. If the sale is based on price alone then we probably won’t win, like other German press manufacturers. But if the equation is on quality and on value added components on the presses, then we have the opportunity to help customers make more money. Then it’s a better proposition for them.

“I think manroland has some challenges, which they know about, but they have the products, and they’re a very strong company. Financially they’re in better shape than most. But it’s a tough market, especially in the sheetfed area, because digital is where a lot of the action is at the moment, especially in small formats.”

The initial focus for the company under Dunwell will be on strengthening its sales and service teams, and renewing its marketing strategy.

“They’ve got really good premises in Regents Park. They’ve had the company set up for about a year now, and the service area is well positioned,” he said. “There’s the sales and marketing area which I have to get my teeth into — that is an area I like to do anyway. We already have three salesmen here and in New Zealand, but we need another in Sydney on the sheetfed side, so we’ll be beefing up our sales team.”

Marketing will be handled from both locally and via Germany, but Dunwell will have a hands-on role in the company’s promotional activities.

“I want the manroland name out there, and for anyone who wants to buy a press the manroland name will be first on their mind,” he told ProPrint. “We want to get our name out there more. We want to get involved with more associations and other industry activities, and be an active member of the print community here. I’m a great believer in getting involved.”

Dunwell is determined to play to the company’s technology strengths, although he confesses he still has much to learn.

“I think packaging is one of the areas we need to focus on because we really do have the right technology for that.

“There are a lot of Roland presses that are ready to be replaced with new technology presses, with automation and value added processes. I have to learn the areas where manroland’s strengths are and focus on those areas. They already do have a consumables area, and I expect that we will expand on that.

“It will be interesting to see what expansion plans manroland has for the future. It’s an exciting challenge for me.”

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