Case Studies
Issue No. 39 - February/March 2008
Green priorities
by Pamela Brombal
Wearing a myriad of business hats, Roger Carthew Managing Director of the Carthew Group of Companies, wears his ‘green’ cap most proudly.
Starting his print business 31 years ago, his group of companies now consists of eSpace Deco & Print, Road Sign Australia, The Bar Runner Co, and Pink Turtle, having expanded into cross-over industry environments.
Expansion of his business has come mainly through the availability of digital technology, allowing Roger to do things that were never before possible.
“The digital technologies we use allow us to be a player in markets we traditionally wouldn’t have been able to interact in,” says Roger.
“We have the ability to produce product in the normal print industry, ability to work in the signage industry, and the ability to use the same digital technology to produce bar runners, carpet tiles, etc. We have the ability to interact in a whole range of different industries.”
Part of Roger’s business challenge is managing the business operations and marketing concepts so that all his products can compete in their specific industry and be successful.
“You’ve got to have a multiplicity of marketing approaches,” he says. “Traditionally our business clientele existed under the printing industry and now we have all these industry sectors we can work in and it’s a balancing act.”
With product competition coming from Chinese manufacturers, Roger says digital technology has changed the way he interacts with customers and competes in some market sectors.
“With the rising Australian dollar combined with the low cost of manufacturing in China, we are finding things a little harder,” he says. “Digital technology allows me to do things, like samples and customised prints that the Chinese manufacturers can’t do.”
Aside from being a business entrepreneur, Roger is a passionate environmentalist and is very aware of his businesses en...
