Definitely doing something right

Business as usual as family operation hands over after 108 years of serving the community

“If you have been around for more than 100 years you must be doing something right.”

That was the thoughts of new Exchange Printers owner Adrian Pursell, from the Goninon Group of Tasmania, as his company adds the formerly family owned and run business to their stable.

And so while the iconic Mount Gambier business, that has been in the Clark family for more than 100 years, now has a new owner Mr Pursell is all too aware not much has to change – if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

“It will be business as usual,” Mr Pursell said. “We don’t see any need to make changes.

“The only difference will be we will do what we do in our other stores and that is having a focus on office fit out and office design and we want to do that in Mount Definitely doing something right Gambier and service clients as far away as Adelaide.

“The office design and fit out is a way of value adding to what Exchange Printers already offers and to do that in South Australia. “All the parameters we normally look for – they certainly meet that – and there is definitely a good culture. Exchange Printers are part of the Office National brand group and we are always on the lookout to buy businesses that meet our criteria and it did so we bought it.

WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE: (Above left) – The hard working service department from days gone by; (above right) long standing owner Ross Clark (centre) with staff at Exchange Printers’ 100 year anniversary celebrations at Mount Gambier’s Main Corner and (opp. page) Julie Wright & Christina Holland in the retail section of Exchange Printers.

Exchange Printers are part of the Office National brand group and we are always on the lookout to buy businesses that meet our criteria and it did so we bought it.”

It means the office supplies and printing business that has been intertwined with the Clark family since 1914 when Alf Clark purchased the business – then known as The Exchange Printing Works – will still be a key player on the region’s commercial landscape.

Exchange Printers is and has been an important part of Mount Gambier’s history and, along with the Clark family, it has been the many staff that have all contributed to helping it become an iconic business in Mount Gambier.

Exchange Printers is proud of the camaraderie existing among the staff – with 371 employees having been part of its more than 100 year history, with many having clocked up 20. 30, 40 and even 50 years of service.

Back when Alf purchased the business, it also published a free weekly paper, with publishing having already been a key part of Alf’s life.

After leaving school he joined Mount Gambier’s second newspaper ‘The South Eastern Star’ and assisted in the first issue in October, 1877. He remained with ‘The Star’ for many years, managing the business for Mr. J. T. Morris and later becoming proprietor of the paper. He eventually sold the SE Star to Mr. F. H. Rischbieth before making the 1914 Exchange Printers purchase. When The Star ceased publication in 1927, he purchased the plant and relocated it to Percy Street.

Back when Alf was running Exchange Printers, it was a labour intensive gig well before the advent of mechanical typesetting – all the work was done by hand.

Every single letter of type was assembled in a composing stick and the pages of the paper were locked in a chase to be printed. After printing, all the single pieces of type had to be distributed back into their respective boxes to be used again.

Alf died in 1931 and his daughter Millie Clark took over the management and after leaving high school in 1935, Ross Clark (pictured opp. page speaking at Exchange Printers 100th anniversary celebrations) joined the business and started on the princely sum of ten shillings a week – $1 in today’s currency.

Even at his tender age, Ross had visions for the future and wanted to take the business over but the family would not hear of it although in 1939 they did allow a partnership between Ross Clark, aged only 19, and Mel Hosking, a senior and valued employee. But Ross’s bold plans for the future had to take a backseat courtesy of World War II.

When the Japanese entered the war Ross enlisted in the RAAF and after training, graduated as a pilot. Due to his enlistment and another staff member, Keith Moody, the staff was so depleted that ‘The Exchange’ free paper ceased publication. The war years saw Mel carry on with a staff of two and then after the war ended it was back to peacetime jobs and the difficult transition and rebuilding of businesses that ensued.

Ross did spend his time in the Air Force still planning and dreaming of how Exchange Printers would operate going forward.

Top of his list was that continuing with hand fed presses was not an option. He convinced Mel they should invest in the new automatic presses and so modernisation of the plant was kickstarted.