Teresa Adinolfi, Managing Director at Redfern, a company with decades of experience in labelling, printing and distribution, discusses her career highlights, the key to business success, as well as industry developments and changes.

How did you get into the printing industry and what are your career highlights?

Adinolfi’s passion for paper started when she was a toddler. ‘My Mom would give me magazines and I revelled in paging through them and tearing them up into tiny shreds, loving the texture of paper and all the pictures and colours,’ she said.

After graduating from Wits with a BCom degree, and following her first job in accounts for an import-export business, she became a Creditors Administrator at Jackstadt SA, a German company invested in South Africa that supplied self-adhesive materials to print companies producing labels.

A highlight was reporting to the German Head Office and the opportunity to grow in this international company. ‘I moved into procurement, where I had to consult with Germany and all our sales reps and branches nationwide to ensure that we imported the right materials at the right time. I loved dealing with the different branches and understanding the needs of their clients and seeing the trends. Teamwork and finding solutions were highlights from my days at this incredible company. This is where I met Lee Barnard, who was the Sales Manager. In 1995, he wanted to start his own business and saw an opportunity to provide print solutions, knowing all the different materials available.’

In 1995, Adinolfi’s husband also decided to embark on a new business in the fuel trade industry. She decided with a heavy heart to leave Jackstadt SA, which was subsequently bought out by Avery Dennison. She helped her husband build up his business and also helped Barnard, part-time at first, with admin in his new business, Jollymon Promotions, trading as Track & Trace Labels. Their first job on 20 January 1995 was for AIM Computers, which ordered 89×36/2-to-view computer labels. Then Formax ordered similar computer labels and so it grew.

‘My highlights are many and I feel so blessed that 30 years later, I am still part of this colourful and informative sector of our economy. Other highlights were meeting and working with Barnard – we made an incredible pair – he had the gift of the gab and I would hear and understand his every word and turn it into an order and work ticket; all the admin was sorted. This way we could service our clients quickly and with care. Other highlights include learning about print manufacturing through Self-Adhering Products, Nevill Labels – later Lithotech. It was all in the detail, all in caring and understanding your client’s needs, respecting their brand and offering support in decorating with the best possible material for their application.’

What are the big printing technology changes that have happened over your time in the industry?

Adinolfi mentioned that computer labels are a product of the past because dot matrix printers are also outdated. ‘Printing has evolved so much – conventional litho printing has evolved to digital format; flexographic printing has evolved to hybrid conventional and digital printing all-in-one, and so many other modifications in-between. The evolution has been incredibly fast for a number of reasons, such as our fast-paced lives, cost-cutting and limited skills for printing artisans. We have seen small family-owned businesses selling off to bigger companies, so there have been many mergers and acquisitions over the last 30 years.’

What is the key to business success in the printing industry?

Adinolfi said companies must remain relevant and ahead of technology. ‘This industry is extremely capital intensive. We have never stopped investing in machinery, but the market squeezes for better prices, so it is a catch twenty-two scenario to remain relevant as well as to remain afloat. Mergers and acquisitions make sense for the capital intensity to be sustainable and affordable. With economies of scale and just-in-time requirements from brand owners, there is always a squeeze and unless you are in a niche market, the competition is high. You also need to find your unique selling point and stick to that with perfection while always being mindful of your relevance. All of this makes for exciting and challenging times.’

Do you have any hobbies/something interesting that people may not know about you?

Adinolfi credits hobbies for keeping her ‘sane’ and helping her to find balance. ‘I love my work and the team I work with and every day I choose and feel the need to exercise more to clear my mind. My favourite way to do this is Zumba dancing. I am an instructor and help out at Dance Fun Studio in Blairgowrie, where Robyn Tserpes keeps us all in love with this unique form of exercise – the joy of movement to Latino vibes.’

Adinolfi also loves cooking and her favourite pastime is spending time with her husband, cooking, eating, and making the best of life with family and friends. ‘I also love scrapbooking, journalling, and writing – paper and ink are so part of my life and I am incredibly sentimental; I love life’s stories!

Redfern recently hired deaf employees. Can you please comment on the importance of a diverse and representative workplace?

‘What incredible people! My Mom has a cousin who is deaf, and he met a soulmate who is also deaf. At age 7, I was amazed to meet this incredible couple in Italy. They both worked in the medical field and were so competent and focused. We went to a village procession and there was a band playing and they were dancing to the rhythm of the music under their feet – I was amazed then and I remain humbled and in awe of deaf people. Thanks to Printing SA and the amazing Women in Print event of 2024, I heard about the work of the Department of Women, Youth and Differently Abled People, and was reminded of the skills we could use with deaf people.’

‘We also have Mariette, a deaf woman who is one of our best rewinders, working for us – she is so competent that I was inspired to investigate employing more deaf people. Consequently, with the help of Printing SA, we made contact and employed four deaf people: Refilwe, Nothando, Thabo and Caspar. They won Best Team of 2024. They are our retail packers, and they are focused, pay extra attention to detail, and react if something is wrong. It is not easy to employ people with different abilities, but the joy of learning about Deaf Culture, and Sign Language (which I am not very good at), has been so humbling and inspiring. It has done us all so much good as a team. I am proud to say that they are appreciated, and any inkling of disrespect towards them has been severely dealt with. They are so special and like every member of the team, truly appreciated. The world is a better place when we involve and include all people. We all have a unique story for being here and acceptance of one another, if only in the workplace, creates peace and harmony.’

C1W Initiative

Change One Woman (C1W) aims to empower women in the branding, print and signage industries. As part of this initiative, Africa Print would like to spotlight women-authored content like this piece. If you have any trend/business articles related to the signage, branding and printing industries, please email content to: meggan@practicalpublishing.co.za. Follow C1W on Facebook and LinkedIn.

REDFERN
https://www.redfern.co.za