The history of Apex Goldstamping Co.

They say life begins at 40….

It may be a dying art but foil stamping & embossing are alive and well at Apex Goldstamping Co. Owner, Neil Shaw, is the second generation to run this business which is 40 years old this year and he believes that the call on his services has been revitalized in recent years. “I have been operating some of our stamping machines since I was 8 years old and so I feel that I have a lifetime of experience in foil stamping and embossing. I have seen some huge changes over the years with the decline of local shoe manufacturers and the enormous growth in promotional marketing. I went to university and worked in local government for a few years but I always worked here on and off and16 years ago my wife Sue and I took over the business full time”.

Neil remembers the 1970’s when Apex occupied a small shopfront in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy and they stamped the insoles of shoes for over 50 small shoe manufacturers around Collingwood and Fitzroy. “We would stamp about 6,000 pairs each day with the logo of the company and sizes but that all went off-shore a few years ago and it was very sad to see the factories close down one after the other. Many of the factories are now warehouse apartments and we have moved to a large factory on Lygon Street – one of Melbourne’s coolest streets but at the not-so-cool end.”

Some of the foil stamping and typesetting machines used by Apex Goldstamping Co on a daily basis are actually on display in the printing museum. “Nothing better has been produced and so we still do things the old-fashioned way and the quality results speak for themselves.”

Particularly in the last 10 years there has been a surge in the demand for embellished promotional products. Neil recalls “15 years ago you could count the number of promotional marketing companies on one hand. Now we service literally hundreds of promotional companies all around Australia.”

Apex Goldstamping Co has stamping specifications for most of the promotional items available in Australia and can advise clients on the best method of embellishment and the possible sizing and positioning of a stamp. This can often be backed up with a photograph of the item which they have stamped previously. Providing firm quotations and an expert pre-production advice service is invaluable to their clients. Sue Shaw runs the administration side of the business. “A crucial part of our service is to be familiar with the products our clients want to stamp. My role includes overseeing artwork and the preparation of art & position proofs for customer approval before we proceed to production. Most potential problems can be eliminated at this stage saving cost and hassles later on.”

Sue remembers the 1990’s when gold foil stamping was the most popular part of their service. “Whether it was letterheads, business cards or diaries everyone wanted it in gold but now embossing and blind stamping are the most requested services and recently black foil stamping is becoming fashionable. Black foil stamping comes into its own on non-leather items that don’t take a deboss too well but where the client wants a subtle look.”

Neil and Sue attribute the success of their local business in competition with large manufacturing plants in China to simply providing a quality service. “We give personalised attention to every job. We are happy to do small runs and we can turn it around fast.”

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