"The printing industry is in a terrible state at the moment," managing director Kel Drewett told ProPrint.
The green chemistry and consumables supplier is preparing to cease trading on Thursday.
"The business didn't fail, but it's unsustainable," he said. "It's death by a thousand cuts at the moment."
Drewett, who estimated he had lost a six-figure sum, said 30% of Fluid's customers had disappeared in the past 18 months.
He said the marketplace was shrinking to such an extent that despite the Sydney-based business being offered at a reasonable price to 35 other companies, all had refused to buy it, many citing financial reasons.
He drew on his 35 years of industry experience to predict that 2012 would be a decisive year for many companies. Many would be faced with a stark choice: re-equip or fold.
Drewett described Fluid as a successful business that had grown from nothing to capture 12-15% of the industry, before surrendering to financial reality.
"We're a small Australian company competing against massive multinationals and it's very, very hard," he said.
Drewett credited Fluid with producing "groundbreaking" environmental products, including the Eco Series KV250 vegetable-based wash, which he said reduced consumption by 60-70%.
He said Fluid's premises had been leased and that all its equipment and most of its stock had been sold.
He also said he would be moving into a technical role at a large company, whose details he had been asked to keep private for now. Two of his four staff would be resuming their studies, he added, although he was unsure what would happen to the other two.
Drewett said he was sad about Fluid's demise given how much he had invested in the business.
"I've lived this business 16 hours per day, eight days per week," he said.
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.
Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter
A sad day for the industry to loose an Australian based manufacturer, who had a drive & focus to develop pressroom chemistry that was better for then environment with an added benefit of being safer & healthier for the pressman.
When will managemnet of print shops wake up and realise that the intial cost of a product is not neccasarily the real cost.
If you have a product that you use 50% – 60% less compared to another – What is the real cost?
If you have a product that doesn’t need to be hazmated away – What is the real cost?
If you have a product where by you no longer need permits for – What is the real cost?
If you have a product that no longer attacks the rubber in blankets & rollers – What is the real cost?
If you have a product that significantly reduces VOC levels & in turn creates a safer workplace – What is the real cost?
The technology is out there and has been proven that there can be a better way, a safer way & a greener way.
It is time that the big chemical ,manufactures start to develop this type of product and not continue peddeling their petroleum based products full of hazardous chemicals that are detrimental to the health of the end user and the environment.
The industry in it’s current state is not sustainable! Companies need to stop supplying products & a service at bottom rock prices. Lift your prices, lift your service & lift the quality & safety levels of your products, this goes for the the chemical and ink suppliers through to the print shops them selves.
Compair Ink prices here in Australia to that of the USA, we are substantially cheaper which is a negative and clearly un-sustainable.
Printers need to take a more proactive approach and start to cross check the Cas# on worldwide chemical saftey sites, to see the detrimental effects the current products are having on their health and the health of their collegues.
The information is out there, it has been known for 20 – 50 – 100 years that many of the chemicals used in the printing sector have many negative health effects along with environmental effects.