Three Picon members have been invited to join the Council which meets five times a year to decide the strategy and direction of the trade association that represents suppliers to the graphic arts industry. The three who will attend their first Council meeting this month are:
- Neil Jones, Managing Director, Bobst UK;
- Kevin O’Donnell, Head of Marketing, Graphic Communications, Xerox UK, Ireland and the Nordics;
- Peter Murphy, Managing Director, Turnbull & Scott.
Jones sees the benefits of membership in training, research and networking opportunities. As a member of the Council he hopes to draw on his 35 years’ industry experience to give something back to the sector. He is particularly passionate about making print, paper-making and converting sectors more attractive as a career path for the younger generation. He also sees Picon providing a useful forum to discuss current issues, including staff welfare during the on-going COVID pandemic and the escalating cost of raw materials for suppliers.
The sense of community and opportunity to join like-minded people with a common purpose is the appeal for O’Donnell too. “Picon offers a fantastic platform for us to see the wider picture,” he says. “We leave our rivalry at the door and come together as an organisation to drive the industry forward in areas like lobbying, health and safety and HR matters. As an industry we face continual change and challenge but Picon can help us grasp opportunities by bringing together the energy and spirit of its members for the common good.”
Murphy will represent the British Paper Machinery Suppliers Association, a specialist division of Picon representing suppliers to the paper industry. The Picon Council always includes two BPMSA members. Murphy believes Picon has an important role in the pandemic. He said, “There has been a mixed impact with exporters hit hardest by travel restrictions but overall the industry has been pretty stable. The networking opportunities provided by Picon have been essential to helping members change business models through collaboration with others.”
These three new members join nine others currently serving on the Picon Council: Mark Bristow (Friedheim International); Neil Sutton (Komori); Ryan Miles (Heidelberg); Andy Pang (Koenig & Bauer); Iain Bullock (Renz); Stuart Murphy (Rollem); Tim Klemz (Compact Engineering, another BPMSA representative); Robert Flather (Kolbus); and James Boughton (Edale).
