Big Image moves to new premises and unveils Australia’s first Gerber MCT

Big Image Australia lived up to its name this week with the official opening of its impressive new headquarters in Hindmarsh, SA, and the unveiling of Australia’s first Gerber MCT cutter, supplied from Halifax Vogel Group (HVG) Australia.

Big Image Australia may not be a household name, but the Adelaide-based company is responsible for some of the State’s most impressive large-format printed graphics, from the footbridge overpass signage over the track at Adelaide’s V8 Supercar 500 event, to banners at the Adelaide Fringe festival, and major signage along the city’s Riverfront developments.

It’s recent move to new, high-tech premises, a brand-new website with integrated customer portal, and its recent investment in the highly automated and productive Gerber MCT wide-format digital finishing system from US giant Gerber, represent a dramatic step forward for the 20-year-old Adelaide company which has made a big name for itself in super-sized graphics.

With its speed and accuracy, the cutter dramatically expands Big Image’s finishing capability and boosts both efficiency and quality, cementing the company’s position as one of the country’s most significant players in the large format signage market.

Managing Director Carlo Capogreco, says the moves are just the latest to ensure the custom-made sign shop continues to deliver its trademark cost-effective, high-quality graphics with super-fast, efficient service.

Addressing the crowd of about 70 customers and colleagues who gathered for the event, an emotional Capagreco thanked his family and his staff for their passion, hard work and long hours to bring the said the investment was just part of a suite of improvements, including the move to new premises and a totally redesigned website with dedicated customer portal, which would ensure SA businesses had no need to go interstate for their large format graphics.

“This is a family business, and as our customers, you are part of that family,” he told the gathering. “The unveiling tonight of this amazing Gerber MCT cutter is not about us; it’s about you. And it’s just one more step to ensure we can continue to partner with you to achieve success.”

For a proudly South Australian company, Capogreco says it’s doubly pleasing to be involved in this Australian ‘first’. “We genuinely believe that SA is a great place to do business and that what we offer her is on par with the best in Australia…and, indeed, the world.”

The new cutter, manufactured in the USA by Gerber and supplied in Australia by HVG, joins a comprehensive production environment at Big Image which encompasses everything from prepress and printing, to laminating, mounting and installation, to cater for the diverse requirements not just of its South Australian customers, but a national clientele.

Versatile, accurate and easy to use, the robust machine features a 3.2 x 3.2m cutting table and will be used to process graphics from the company’s high-speed UVistar Pro8 eight-colour, printer, Seiko Color painter H-104s and Roland Soljet Pro111 XJ-640, among others.

Adrian Morris, Business Manager – Strategic Growth for HVG, attended the event with Gerber Director, Mark Bibo, who flew in from the States for the launch. Morris says the new cutter delivers ‘industry-leading print-to-cut capabilities.

“This new-generation cutter is an ‘all in one’ cutting and finishing solution which provides unsurpassed productivity thanks to its outstanding marriage of software and hardware features,” Morris explains. “Advanced workflow and software are complemented by automated media transport, vision-guided software, and flexible, high-speed tooling, to deliver outstanding quality while reducing production and makeready times,” Morris explains.

“It’s great to see it in action here tonight and a real credit to Big Image for their vision and their commitment to investing in world’s best technology for their clients in South Australia and around the country.”

Bibo said the Australian debut of the MCT cutter was an important part of the company’s global expansion plans for the range, which is already enjoying great success in its home market, North America. Bibo, who shares Italian heritage with the Capogreco family, said he was certain Big Image Australia’s customer focus, coupled with the new technology, would achieve similar success in South Australia and wished the company ‘Cent’Anni’ – ‘a hundred years of health’.