Olympics city Brisbane has been chosen as the site for Avery Dennison's Training & Innovation centre, servicing the whole APAC region for vehicle wrappers. Located inside its existing warehouse site at Berrimba on Brisbane's southside, the centre boasts a fully-equipped printshop, ample 300 sqm space, bespoke lighting and a couple of prestige cars for practicing on. Andy McCourt was there as a guest of Avery Dennison.
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| It will be red carpet treatment for delegates attending Avery Dennison's new Training & Innovation Centre, Brisbane |
The USD$7 billion vehicle wrapping industry, it can be said with confidence, is booming but there is a shortage of fully-trained skilled wrappers. Avery Dennision has addressed this by investing in a superb Training & Innovation Centre that will serve not just Australia-New Zealand but the entire APAC region, including China. Certified installers will be tutored in class sizes no larger than 15 students at a time.
The opening was hosted by (pictured R) Chris Kilgour, GM of Graphics Asia-Pacific; Jordan Leach, Business Director of Graphic Solutions, ANZ & ASEAN and Peter Wright, Technical Marketing Manager of Graphics Solutions, ANZ in an information-packed media briefing organised by 
Marketing Specialist Crystal Bian.The new centre includes both Mimaki JV100 eco-solvent and HP Latex printers, a French-made Kala Mistral 1650 Laminator and wet & dry areas for material processing. LED Lighting in the installation area is in a Hexagrid pattern for eveness and air in the print lab is recirculated and scrubbed for total safety.
Headquartered in Mentor, Ohio USA, Avery Dennison today is a materials science and digital identification global company operating in over 50 countries, employing around 36,000 people and generating over USD$9 billion in sales in 2022. It has strong sustaInability credentials, with on-going programmes that will see full-circular custodianship of its vinyl and other products, including reverse processing of used wrap materials back to pure origin.
Avery materials are distributed through a network of dealer partners including Ball & Doggett, Graphic Art Mart and Spandex. The new centre will work in tandem with these partners, with 3 levels of certification: 'Platinum' level for top tier national dealers, Certified Partner to reward the top tier and certified installers.
There are three course categories:
- Supreme Wrapping Film training
- Paint Protection (PPF) Film training
- Automotive Window Tint training
Wrapping at 300 kph!
Perhaps the most visible of Avery Dennison's auto wrap partners is Triple Eight Engineering - the people behind the Red Bull/Ampol V8 Gen3 
Chevrolet Camaro Supercars (pictured right) driven by notable champions such as Jamie Wincup and Shane van Gisbergen. These dazzling speedsters are decorated using Avery Dennison's MPI 1105 Easy Apply RS, DOL 1480Z Matte overlaminate and Supreme PPF Matte film. The partnership is in its twelfth year and looks set for many years in the future, with motorsport livery designer Peter Hughes in charge of the aesthetics.
Training & Innovation Centres such as the new Avery Dennison facility are an essential part of growing our industry and a credit to the commitment, investment and educationalism of leading supply companies. All this is in the conspicuous absence of adequate TAFE and other government-administered apprentice training that reflects today's skills and technology demands.
