August 13 2021 - Melbourne - In February, SICPA Australia moved into its new offices in Note Printing Australia’s main building, having previously been based in Campbellfield. The move was a long-held goal of former Managing Director Howard Carter (who recently retired) and represents a strategic pivot for SICPA Australia.
“SICPA decided to focus production in Australia on banknote security inks exclusively, which meant decommissioning our old facility during 2020,” says new Managing Director Barry O’Neill. “We’re really pleased to have not only an in-plant ink mill, but also the entire SICPA Australia office and staff on-site, which is an arrangement unique to the Craigieburn site.”
The Craigieburn site is indeed unique in the banknote industry, as nowhere else in the world do all aspects of the banknote manufacturing process occur on a single site. NPA’s Passport operations and DFAT’s passport personalisation program also add to the site’s high security reputation. With SICPA Australia joining the site as tenants, the site’s reputation as a centre of excellence in security printing is enhanced further.
SICPA is the world leader in high security inks and features for currencies and sensitive documents, including identity documents, excise stamps, passports, transport and lottery tickets. As many know, the SICPA team have been on-site since 2004 at a time when the Ink Mill team was still grinding and mixing inks on-site. SICPA now mainly imports semi-finished materials and has invested in pumping stations and lab equipment to ensure the product meets specifications.
“Being on-site makes personal interaction easier, which is critically important,” says O’Neill. “In addition to being an integral part of the Ink Mill team, we can also be more closely involved in improvement projects and in ensuring that our products are adjusted as needed to suit quality and production requirements.”