Industry who's who marks Steve Dunwell's retirement

Feb 09, 2017 at 12:44 am by Staff


Friends and customers - past and present - joined a who's who of the industry to farewell Steve Dunwell, who has retired from the managing directorship of manroland Australasia.

The party at the Banjo Paterson restaurant in Sydney's Gladesville on Tuesday drew more than 60 guests, including some of the first to give him an order at Datronics and the Media Tech business he owned with Michael Joel.

Among them were John Parker, who as managing director of Rural Press (now part of Fairfax Media) supported him with early business, and Barry Johnson, now retired from what was then News Limited. Their current successors were also at the gathering, including Fairfax production and distribution chief executive Bob Lockley, who honoured Dunwell with a warm address... and a kiss.

Responding, Dunwell noted that his main customers from the 1970s - News, Fairfax and Hannanprint, all represented at the event - were "still my biggest customers today". Others there included IVE director Paul Selig and Phil Taylor - who has just sold his Franklin Web business into an expanded IVE, which has delivered Dunwell his latest press order, for an 80-page Lithoman heatset press - and Lithocraft's Kevin Pidgeon, who bought a $15,000 Singer typesetter from Dunwell in 1977 and is still a major manroland user.

David Currie and Phil Rennell were among those representing the six years Steve Dunwell spent as NSW manager for the Currie Group, and he also acknowledged his team at manroland, including Dennis Wickham who succeeded him as managing director at the beginning of this month.

With wife Carol, Steve Dunwell is heading overseas for a holiday but plans to keep in touch with friends in the industry, and with Press Gang, where Barry Johnson is currently treasurer.

Pictured: A kiss for Steve Dunwell from Bob Lockley seals a long period as friend and customer

Sections: Print business

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