Hot on the heels of the opening of an impressive new headquarters in Melbourne, Avery Dennison this week unveiled its new Training & Innovation Centre in Berrinba, Brisbane. The state-of-the-art 300m2 facility is the first of its kind in the world and will service the entire ASEAN region.
The dedicated facility will be used for specialist application training and upskilling, and will be the regional base for the company’s certified installer and certified partner programs and for the ‘train the trainer’ programs which are vital to ensuring top performance of Avery Dennison products across the region.
Addressing the media prior to the official opening, Chris Kilgour, General Manager & Senior Director - Graphics Solutions in the Asia Pacific, said the new training centre – the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region – represents a major investment for the company, with its concept conceived and driven by the team in ANZ.
“There’s no question that the trend towards customisation and branding is as strong as it’s ever been,” Kilgour said.
“The take-up of vehicle wrapping, in particular, is increasing strongly around the ASEAN region, and we know that there is a shortage of qualified wrappers to service this growing demand. This Training & Innovation Centre will provide the industry with an important resource to address this shortfall.”
The centre, he said, will host training for Supreme Wrapping film, Paint Protection Film (PPF) and Automotive Window Tint, as well as architectural wrapping and general signage applications. Qualifications offered will include Platinum certification for national dealers, Certified Partner for distribution partners, and Certified Installer for installation professionals.
Jordan Leach, Business Director – Graphic Solutions for ANZ & ASEAN, said, “this dedicated, purpose-built facility is a major step forward for our training gin the region, and will ensure we can meet our strong commitment to supporting the future of the industry in this way.
“As well as providing training for existing installers and dealers, those who are looking to enter the industry – or who are working in the sector but have not yet received formal training – will also be able to come here to upskill to operational levels, and then return when they have the requisite experience to consider certification.”
“We are also consulting with industry associations, TAFEs and others about widening the use of the new centre to provide a pathway for new entrants to the industry, whether those be school leavers, long-term unemployed or others,” he said.
From the outside, the new facility itself is unassuming, tucked inside the company’s sizeable warehouse alongside racks of stock. Enter the doors, however, it’s beyond impressive, featuring two wet and two dry vehicle wrapping bays, large swing-out panels of architectural glass for the application of window films, and a fully-operational imaging room with HP and Mimaki latex printers and a high-end laminating system from French manufacturer, Kala.
In the vehicle bays, overhead Hexagrid lighting provides the ability to check film application down to the finest detail, and specialty grid flooring ensures water from wet applications flows straight away from the work area – a feature which makes this facility unique among Avery Dennison’s graphics training facilities.
The centre also features state-of-the-art video and presentation technologies, which can be used to complement on-the-spot training and, in future, to deliver webinars and virtual training events.
Peter Wright, Technical Marketing Manager – Graphic Solutions ANZ, said the purpose-built centre will complement the company’s training and product expertise with an ‘ideal environment’ for courses.
“We are looking at running about 40 workshops here in the coming year, with each group limited to about 15 people with two or three trainers per group, to absolutely optimise learning,” he added. Those graduates will join some 13,000 already certified by Avery Dennison since it began training in Australia in 1995.
Avery Dennison is a leader in materials science and digital identification solutions, operating in more than 50 countries and turning over USD $9B in sales last year alone. As well as a commitment to market-led innovation – evidenced by dedicated R+D facilities in the US, Europe and China – the company has a strong focus on sustainability and social responsibility, with numerous programs designed to reduce the impact of its operations and products, further progress towards a truly circular economy, and contribute to the wellbeing of the communities in which it operates.
In Australia and the surrounding region, they are well respected name, not only for their superior pressure-sensitive label technologies, but also their wide range of graphic and reflective films which include vehicle wrapping films, solar paint protection and window tinting films, architectural films and an ever-evolving array of new innovations like self-healing top cover films.
