Expat Kiwi, Keith Ferrel, co-founder and general manager of operations of Sydney-based grand format production company Cactus Imaging, has taken out the top spot in maajor Aussie print industry award competition, the Printer 50 at the ProPrint Awards.
Held on October 25, 2024 at the Shangri-La Sydney, the ProPrint Awards celebrated and honoured excellence in the Australian printing industry. This year’s event reported record numbers, with more than 365 guests in attendance.
The highly coveted Printer 50 is a peer-voted award recognising the senior leaders and innovators of the Australian printing industry, with this year’s award receiving a record number of nominations.
Ferrel, who won the Printer 50 category at the ProPrint Awards in 2022 and placed runner up in 2023, told attendees that he was honoured to receive the award for the second time.
“Congratulations to all the [Printer 50] winners. It’s a tremendous honour and I just want to say that none of this would be possible without the staff of Cactus Imaging,” Ferrel said.
“The ProPrint Awards is the go-to event for the industry, and I’m proud to be part of it. There’s no way in hell I’m retiring and I’m coming back to get it again next year!”
Kiwi connection
Recognised for his innovation and outstanding contribution to the industry, Ferrel co-founded Cactus Imaging in New Zealand in 1992, and it has since become known worldwide as a leading grand format production company.
After a year in Auckland, Ferrel relocated from New Zealand to Sydney and established the sales arm of Cactus Imaging Australia. This endeavour was so successful that in 1996, Cactus Imaging established a full-scale production plant in Sydney. In 2000, he was appointed as the group sales director and later as general manager. He played a pivotal role in establishing Cactus Imaging India in Chennai.
Ferrel has also served on the HP Customer Advisory Board and is the Asia Pacific and Japan past chairman of the board of directors for dscoop Asia Pacific and Japan board and the Fespa Australia board.
Widely recognised in the Asia Pacific region as one of the most influential people in the print industry, he was inducted into the Fespa Hall of Fame. In 2014, he was awarded the Fespa World Printeor f the Year and in 2021 he received the Media Super Lifetime Achievement Award.
Christoph Gamper, chief executive and co-owner of Durst Group, platinum sponsor of the 2024 ProPrint Awards, said attending the awards and presenting the Printer 50’s top 10 was a “tremendous honour and joy”.
He said, “These awards celebrated the best in print and highlighted young talent and outstanding suppliers. I’m incredibly proud that my team earned three awards – a testament to their dedication and hard work.
“A huge thank you to the incredible Australian print community and the organisers who made this event so special. Your warmth, passion, and commitment to excellence are the driving force behind the success of the ProPrint Awards. It was a privilege to sponsor these awards, deliver my greetings, and celebrate with you all. And a special nod to Team Durst Oceania for their fantastic film, ‘Su Casa es Mi Casa,’ which lit up the stage and captured our spirit perfectly.”
The 2024 ProPrint Awards would not be possible without the ongoing support of the event’s sponsors:
Platinum sponsor
Durst Oceania
Gold sponsors
Ball & Doggett
FUJIFILM Australia
HP
IVE Group
Omnigraphics
Pozitive Sign & Graphic Supplies
Silver sponsors
ABC Copiers
Böttcher Systems
Cactus Imaging
EFI
Graph-Pak
Konica Minolta
Kurz Australia
Lamont Print + Signs
Lamson Paragon
Mimaki Australia
PAKKO
Ricoh Australia
Spicers Australia
Xeikon
Auditing partner
PKF
