The surprise acquisition by Starleaton alters the industry landscape and boosts Starleaton Digital Solutions into the top five suppliers to mainstream graphic arts and commercial printers as well as signage customers.
The new $40 million Australian and New Zealand supply enterprise will have unique synergies across the commercial printing and photography sectors with an unsurpassed range of high-end sign and display equipment and substrates.
 |
| Nearly 30 team members from both Starleaton & DES gathered together for the first time at the DES headquarters in Rhodes, NSW, for three days last week. |
“It’s not ‘business as usual,” said an elated Eaton. “ It’s business better than usual. We will provide a comprehensive service to all customers that will allow them to grow and expand their businesses through a single point of contact. We intend to play a key role in their success by delivering the best products backed up by even better service.”
The deal came as a result of several months of negotiations between the principals. Integration of DES and SDS is set to take place over the next six months with Ian Clare agreeing to stay on in order to help with the process.
“Business is all about people and relationships. I have been fortunate to grow up as part of the Starleaton business, and am proud to be at the forefront of this next phase of our growth,” said Eaton, acknowledging Clare’s continuing value to the business.
“Over the past few years we have seen an enormous amount of compression in the Australian market in both the supply and print production corners of the industry. I have had great respect for DES over the years as I have watched the business grow both organically and through acquisitions of its own.
“The opportunity to bring two great brands under one roof furthers our plans to grow whilst staying true to our message of offering a market leading portfolio of products and service. It’s not often you find two family-owned businesses that share the same passion and culture. This really is an exciting next move for us.”
There are no redundancies forecast in the combined enterprise. Consolidation of facilities will see the DES operation in Perth and Adelaide move in to the SDS sites. A new showroom and warehouse in Mount Waverly, Melbourne will combine both teams while the Sydney operations will continue to work out of the SDS HQ at Brookvale as well as the Rhodes DES site.
According to Clare the buyout will ensure his legacy will continue into the future. “Having spent the past few decades building the DES brand to what it is today, we were keen to see our efforts continue to be built on in the years to come. In that regard Starleaton clearly share many of our philosophies that have driven our business to where it is today [with a] a focus on leading brands and high quality products, and strong and reliable customer service.”
DES has one of the broadest product portfolios of any supplier in the region. A strong equipment offering including Epson, Seiko and EFI alongside their colour management products including X-rite allows them to partner with many of the high volume producers who wish to achieve high quality output.
This will further enhance the recent AGFA agreement with SDS that delivers an even broader range of brands that includes brands such as Neschen, SEAL and Contra Vision.
Founded in the late 70’s by Peter Eaton, Starleaton has expanded over the decades through various acquisitions and the set up of its SDS division in 2000. SDS has been on a clear path to differentiate itself from the rest of the competition. Focusing on an extensive range of targeted application based products, it have become the go-to for specialised materials for its many sign and display customers. The acquisition of the DES business further strengthens this product portfolio on offer to the combined sets of customers.
The joint product portfolios see the business having an even greater impact in the PSP, POS, exhibition, interior design and industrial print space. However, Eaton is careful to emphasize that customer service is much more than a just an extensive range of consumables and equipment. The technical engineering team is further strengthened across the country giving the customers confidence that they will have strong product support, from both an application (print quality) and break fix perspective. Over the coming months he says that customers on both sides of the fence able to expect an increased level of service and access to the reciprocal product groups.
It will take some months to finalise the integration of stock, MIS systems, premises and staff. There is a clear focus on ensuring the customer experience is as uninterrupted as possible. “The business has always had a focus on keeping deep stock levels around the country. This move only furthers that commitment across all our warehouse locations,” said Eaton.
Combining the two teams will give the market access to an exceptional pool of industry professionals. The new joint sales force will be focused on helping customers to deliver the most creative solutions to their customers.
Starleaton Digital Solutions
www.starleaton.com.au
