IVE Group (ASX: IGL) is celebrating 105 years in business with the launch of its 105ive campaign, highlighting a journey that has transformed the company from a small Sydney community newspaper into Australia’s largest diversified marketing business.
Founded in 1921 by Oscar Selig as The Link, a newspaper serving Sydney’s inner west, IVE has evolved alongside Australia’s changing media and marketing landscape. Today, the ASX-listed company provides an integrated suite of services spanning creative and content, customer experience and data, retail activations, packaging, print, eCommerce, fulfilment and distribution.
Managing Director Matt Aitken said reaching the 105-year milestone reflected the company’s ability to continually adapt to changing technologies, customer behaviour and client needs.
“Few Australian businesses reach 105 years and fewer still remain relevant through every major shift in technology, media and customer behaviour along the way,” Aitken said.
“Our history has been shaped by a willingness to adapt. From newspapers and commercial print through to today’s connected marketing environment, we’ve continued to evolve in response to what clients need most.”
The anniversary comes as marketers face increasing complexity, with businesses navigating expanding digital channels, shifting consumer expectations and the rapid adoption of new technologies.
IVE’s growth has been underpinned by a combination of strategic acquisitions and significant investment over the past 25 years. Since 2000, the company has established and scaled multiple businesses into market-leading operations, including its Integrated Solutions division and the PWO facility at Silverwater, each generating around $120 million in annual revenue.
Its acquisition of STI Lilyfield in 2014 has also delivered substantial growth, expanding annual revenue from approximately $12 million at the time of purchase to around $140 million today.
The company’s logistics network has similarly expanded from a single 2,000-square-metre warehouse in Silverwater to a national footprint of approximately 80,000 square metres supporting customers across Australia.
IVE also played a key role in reshaping Australia’s large-format web printing industry through the acquisitions of Franklin and AIW, and today remains the only original major operator from that competitive landscape still in operation.
Alongside acquisitions, the company has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in capital expenditure to broaden its technology, facilities and service offering, building one of Australia’s most diversified marketing businesses.
To commemorate the milestone, IVE has launched the 105ive campaign, a month-long celebration recognising the people, partnerships and innovations that have shaped the business over more than a century.
The campaign includes a heritage video featuring members of the Selig family and Team IVE, historical content exploring key moments in the company’s development, thought leadership on the future of marketing, client engagement initiatives and recognition of long-serving employees.
Aitken said while the anniversary provided an opportunity to reflect, the company’s focus remained firmly on future growth.
“The marketing landscape will continue to evolve, and our focus remains on helping clients navigate that complexity with confidence through the combination of creativity, technology, data, production and execution,” he said.
“The same entrepreneurial mindset that helped build this business over the past 105 years continues to guide us today as we invest in new capabilities, create new opportunities for clients and position IVE for the future.”
Listed on the ASX since 2015, IVE Group (ASX: IGL) now works with more than 2,800 clients across Australia and New Zealand and employs more than 2,000 people across its national network of operations. As the company enters its 106th year, management says its focus remains on helping brands grow in an increasingly connected and complex marketing environment.
