Michael Eichner has made a career in graphics and signmaking

Michael Eichner has made a life long career in graphics and signmaking. He started working at Roadside in 2011 and has clocked up 12 years with the company and three moves to three different manufacturing facilities as the company has grown.

Michael Eichner is a graphics production staff member in the signmaking division of Roadside’s Lonsdale manufacturing  plant in South Australia.

“When I first started in signmaking, we didn’t have printers and there was a process in creating a sign. We used plotters to cut through the vinyl. Nowadays with digital printers we can print directly onto vinyl.  We would be printing and then cutting out the sign and it took time. There’s been a lot of change in the industry over the last 12 years,” Michael Eichner says.

“I remember having to stick onto plates, then peel the vinyl and then get another type of tape and stick it onto the original vinyl.

“Nowadays with digital printers we print and stick straight onto a plate and a sign is done.

“A small sign would take up to 10 minutes but now we can do them in half the time. The speed of the digital printers has doubled our productivity.”

When asking Michael what keeps him committed and enjoying his role at Roadside he says Roadside management puts a lot of trust in him and the quality of the work he produces. The management also drives a culture of being family friendly.

“Whenever I’ve had a family commitment I’ve needed to attend to, they have been understanding and allowed me the opportunity to catch up on my work.

“Everyone needs direction out there. Signs are a necessity in every part of life from directing you to your destination, naming a shop, directing you to the facilities or just simply showing you the coffee selections – signs direct every part of our lives,” Michael Eichner says.

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