Geon exodus as salespeople look to Blue Star

A number of Geon's top salespeople are said to be switching from "the red team to the blue team".

ProPrint understands that key salespeople and account managers have resigned from Geon and are looking to start working at rival print group Blue Star.

The industry is rife with rumours of an exodus of the sales team in Victoria. One source said half a dozen people had followed a sales manager to "the blue team".

It seems similar movements are also afoot in New South Wales.

Geon chief executive Graham Morgan told ProPrint: "Understandably, it is true that a number of people have left Geon since the receivers were appointed.

"What we are focusing on, however, are the extremely loyal employees and customers who remain with us during these challenging times."

The exact number of staff switching sides is unclear: some sources have suggested it could be more than a dozen across the two states.

The individuals who have left are all said to be in sales functions and are responsible for some of Geon's largest accounts.

[Feature: Selig buyout promises stability for Blue Star]

One well-placed source told ProPrint  that Geon staff were in limbo amid the receivership and he didn't blame them for looking after their interests. "All the people [who have gone to Blue Star] have young families and mortgages."

The entitlements of Geon workers are caught up in the receivership process.

Blue Star's Victorian general manager, Brad Hoffmann, confirmed that Blue Star was in discussions with a number of people who had given notice at Geon.

Blue Star Australia managing director Geoff Selig would not be drawn on specifics, but said: "The foundation of our business is people, and if talented and committed people have a desire to work for Blue Star and we have an opening for them, we would always consider that."

Any influx of staff from Geon to Blue Star would join Glen Draper and Kim Lykissas, who both worked at Geon before resigning late last year.

Another senior hire is former commercial sales manager Crawford Guthrie, who ended at Geon in January and has since joined Blue Star.

It is unclear whether a similar situation is occurring in New Zealand, where both Blue Star and Geon have operations.

Tom Sturgess, who led the buyout of Blue Star's New Zealand operations last year, would not comment on Geon staff, but he did tell ProPrint: "We are always looking to be an employer of choice for talented people in this industry."

[Related: Ups & downs of Blue Star]