Allprint Launch of New Heidelberg Printing Machine

Friday 1 March 2005

My speechwriter, who was a reporter for years, says that there are three main types of people life has taught him to stay onside with at all times.

They are receptionists, telephonists and printers. He said that receptionists and telephonists are always the ones who will know what's really going on, anywhere, anytime. Stay onside and you can get priceless gossip. Get offside and things will rapidly start to not happen.

But he said printers have an even more God-like role to play for anyone involved in public life. A printer who cares can save an awful lot of grief. Those who don't can cause equal amounts. He said that he has never forgotten how happy he was to have a newspaper printer point out to him how one of his staff had written a headline for an A&P Show that read "President has deep love of Sheep". It got changed.

I'm delighted to see that this Heidelberg is the first in the Australasian neighbourhood. The latest technology again for Christchurch. It is impossible to stress how vital it is that we go down this road of staying ahead of the game here in Christchurch.

There are economic powerhouses like China and India building up heads of steam that are going to have huge effects both good, and bad, on our way of life. One of the best ways to make sure we ride out these new waves of change is to stay right on top of our game.

This new machine will ensure Allprint does just that for some time to come.

Congratulations.