Offset & Beyond, presented by WOA and Printing Industries of America, showcased the best the offset industry had to offer--strategies, solutions, and tactics--presented by industry leaders and experts, discussing the current environment of the market as well as a look at what the future holds in the dynamic world of traditional and integrated print.

"Don't obsess about the things you can't control, but concentrate on what you can control," said keynote speaker Michael Graff, president and CEO, Sandy Alexander Inc. Graff stated that printers must be more than order takers and manufacturers of custom products. He said you must position your company to be an integrated manufacturer and problem solver.

Robert Murphy, founder and chairman, Japs-Olson Company, was honored as the recipient of the 2011 Harry V. Quadracci VISION Award. Murphy is chairman of Japs-Olson Company, St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The VISION Award is conferred to a web offset printing industry executive who has reached an unsurpassed level of excellence and achievement in the industry.

Keynote Jim Sampey, chief operating officer, Cox Target Media/Valpak Direct Marketing Systems, Inc., stated, "We are proud to be a printer, but we are also taking print into the digital age." He described how Valpak built one of the most advanced and automated manufacturing centers in the world--a hub of technology where automation and robotics are at the core of the operation. Sampey's stressed the importance of knowing your customers, using your core attributes for expansion, and moving beyond price to value for your customers.

John Gaspari, vice president, Operations, Specialty Print Communications (SPC), was named the 2011 H. Howard Flint II, Pressroom Manager of the Year. Gaspari’s leadership and determination have vastly expanded SPC’s capabilities through the management of millions of dollars in capital investment in new equipment and technology. In thanking Flint for the award, Gaspari announced Western Michigan University as his choice to receive a $2,000 scholarship for their print program.

Offset & Beyond wrapped with a final general session Tuesday afternoon with Jamie Olson, senior director, brand management, Wyndham Vacation Ownership, and Hilary Strauss Hahn, managing director, global marketing, xpedx, with a look at the corporate buyer’s perspective on how to survive and grow in today’s multi-channel world.

Hahn discussed the explosion of data and multi-media, stressing that it is vital to understand a customer’s language and their multi-channel choices without forgetting that print means trust and reliability to customers. Olsen stated direct mail is making a comeback, noting that while 80% of emails are deleted without being opened, 81% of households open and read the direct mail they receive. She also noted, "You cannot unsubscribe from the USPS." Both speakers wrapped with "long live print."

For more information about the Offset & Beyond Conference, visit www.printing.org/offsetandbeyond.

Printing Industries of America is proud to announce its newest conference, the Integrated Print Forum. Taking place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, October 24–25, the Integrated Print Forum will provide printers with an intimate environment to learn about the newest technologies and how to implement them into their repertoire to reach a greater profit potential. As the industry evolves to take advantage of the variety of technical offerings available to printers, it’s paramount to design a conference that teaches cutting--edge techniques and showcases how to integrate print with other forms of media. The Integrated Print Forum does just that.

The Integrated Print Forum will cover everything from integrated marketing campaign management to augmented reality to designing websites for mobile applications--all with a focus on print service providers. Speakers at the conference come from a wide range of disciplines, including sales mavens, social media masters, and marketing integration experts.

"We have assembled an interactive forum for printers to learn tactics that they can apply to their business as soon as they return home," said Julie Shaffer, vice president of digital technologies, Printing Industries of America. "It's important for printers to come together, share ideas, and learn about new technologies and opportunities that can help ensure our industry continues to evolve and meet the changing needs of consumers."

Learn more about the Integrated Print Forum at www.printing.org/integratedprint. The website contains information about the conference, a link to Formspring for the community to ask questions, a discussion board, and a blog. Some sessions, especially the hands-on labs, will fill up quickly. To reserve a spot for the conference and grab a seat in the sessions you most want to attend, visit http://integratedprintforum.eventbrite.com.

Avanti's Graphic Arts Management System V12.2 has passed stringent testing by the Printing Industries of America to become the 50th product to be certified by the CIP4 Organization (International Cooperation for the Integration of the Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress Organization). 

Avanti's software was specifically certified for its ability to facilitate automation by electronically communicating with prepress equipment using Job Messaging Format (JMF) communications, while transferring the appropriate JDF requirements for prepress workflow completion.

The 50 certified products move the industry closer to realizing the full potential of the Job Definition Format (JDF) specification, created in 2001 to allow integrations between automated workflows of different manufacturers’ equipment. JDF-certified equipment has proven its ability to accurately receive and pass on electronic job information in an effort to help print providers speed production and minimize mistakes and touch points during production.

"By using JDF certified solutions, print providers can be confident that their entire workflow will run smoothly from prepress to press and postpress. Companies like Avanti invested a lot of time and money to achieve this certification so their customers will have a 'Quality Assurance Stamp' ensuring that the different applications they count on to run their shop, can work together," said Dr. Mark Bohan, Vice President, Technology and Research, Printing Industries of America.

"This is an important milestone for an important program," said James Harvey, Executive Director of CIP4 Organization. "InfoTrends recently reported that automation is a priority for over 60% of printers, and we know that over 40% of printers have started to implement JDF-enabled automation. The recent recession has made productivity gains more critical than ever for printers, and the JDF Product Certification Program provides clear and unmistakable guidance for those printers working towards production automation.”

There are 17 additional companies who have shown JDF/JMF integration specialties in multiple Interoperability Conformance Specifications (ICS) documents and JDF versions. A complete list of certified products is online at http://www.printing.org/jdfcertified. More information on the certification process can be obtained by contacting Brandon Iskey at 800-910-4283 x 787 or biskey@printing.org. 

Printing Industries of America is now accepting entries for the Best Workplace in the Americas (BWA) Program. This program was developed to recognize a company's employee relations practices and policies that go above and beyond the industry average. The BWA program recognizes companies that commit to their workforce through sound human relations practices. Winning a BWA award can be the inspiration a company needs to evolve and continue to develop.

Receiving a BWA award does wonders for a company's morale and is a great indicator that they’re on the path of success. Jim Kyger, Vice President of Human Resources, Printing Industries of America says, "The Best Workplace in the Americas Program is designed to recognize positive work environments and help raise the human relations bar so that the industry produces quality, motivated employees. It’s important to keep employees happy because a satisfied employee can lead to more sales, production, and profits."

BWA recognition communicates so much more than happy employees. To potential customers and future employees, it’s a reflection of company standards as well as the care that goes into the decisions made. In addition, recipients of the BWA award receive feedback from highly respected U.S. and Canadian human resources professionals. These insights pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of a program so that the program can evolve.

Any U.S. or Canadian graphic communications company, or supplier to the graphic communication industry, can enter by completing the two-part survey form found at www.printing.org/bwa. The survey was designed with busy professionals in mind and is a very quick and painless process.

There are three categories to win in: Best Workplace in the Americas and Best of the Best. Each level is broken out by company-size (small, medium and large or multi-plant). Award winners receive a Best Workplace plaque, recognition in industry publications, national and local media promotion, and a copy of the book, Best Practices of the Best Workplaces in the Americas. Entries must be submitted by September 30, 2011. Visit http://www.printing.org/bwa for the entry form.

This is the only award of its kind for the printing industry and a great platform to showcase quality human relations practices in the Americas. For more information please call 202-730-7968 or email bwa@printing.org.

The Web Offset Association (WOA) and Printing Industries of America are pleased to announce that John Gaspari, Vice President, Operations, Specialty Print Communications (SPC) has been named the 2011 recipient of the H. Howard Flint II Operations Manager of the Year. He will be honored and recognized during the Offset & Beyond Conference, May 23–25, at the Omni ChampionsGate in Orlando, Florida. 

Gaspari came to SPC as a highly accomplished pressroom manager, and in fact, could have been recognized for this honor prior to his arrival. Since joining SPC, he helped transform the organization from a commercial printer to a direct marketing specialist, increasing revenues by 50% and significantly increasing gross margins. His leadership and determination have vastly expanded SPC’s capabilities through the management of millions of dollars in capital investment in new equipment and technology.

Gaspari spearheaded a quality initiative to reduce the costs of errors in the pressroom. Through his strong experience and background, John helped benchmark best practices and rolled out a quantifiable grading system within a new quality department. He helped set standards, write SOPs, hire and support the new department, and over the next seven months, saw error reductions of 80% yielding more than $1,000,000 in annual net savings.

"As a marketer my job is to communicate a compelling brand story," says Dustin LeFebvre, Executive Vice President, Marketing, SPC. "The SPC narrative has been an incredible one to communicate, as it involves pioneering, a massive expansion of capabilities, and growth in a mature industry under poor economic conditions. I would not be able to tell this story, nor would it exist, without the leadership, hard work, and determination of Gaspari and his team. He has helped transform the company and fueled consistent double-digit sales growth."

SPC is a thriving national print and direct marketing company located just outside Chicago that has experienced exponential growth as a complete direct mail production resource. The reason? Focus. The company embodies an absolute passion for helping generate measurable results by leveraging a communication medium, direct mail, to drive greater awareness, interest, and action to the client's products and services.

The H. Howard Flint II Operations Manager of the Year Award is conferred on a pressroom manager or supervisor who has excelled in their profession and contributed above and beyond to their company, customers, and the printing industry. Past recipients of the award include Philip E. Archer, Von Hoffmann Corporation; Scott Robinson, John Roberts Company; Steve Richardson, Courier Corporation; and Steve Buechel, The Segerdahl Group.

For more information about this award, please contact Laurie Reynolds at 412-259-1802 or via email at lreynolds@printing.org.

WOA and Printing Industries of America are pleased to announce that Robert Murphy, Chairman, Japs-Olson Company, St. Louis Park, MN, has been named the 2011 recipient of the Harry V. Quadracci VISION Award. He will be honored and recognized during the Offset & Beyond Conference, May 23–25, at the Omni ChampionsGate in Orlando, Florida. 

Murphy has served both his company and the industry in leadership roles. He served as Chairman of the Board for Printing Industries of America in 1995–1996, and Printing Industries of Minnesota in 1988–1989. He has also served on numerous ad-hoc committees, including chair of the Printing Industries of America Environmental Subcommittee, Government Affairs, and the Long Range Planning Committee.

Murphy has been recognized for his outstanding achievements and contributions to the industry--he is the recipient of the Outstanding Graphic Arts Industry Leader Award, the Lewis Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Graphic Arts Leaders of the Americas. He was inducted into the Printing Impressions/RIT Hall of Fame, the Soderstrom Society, and the Web Offset Society.

"I have personally worked with Bob--on the association side as a board member and on the business side as an equipment supplier," said Larry Miller, Chairman, Web Offset Society. "I found him to be straight forward, very involved, and an honest individual. I can only believe that Bob has not already been the VISION award recipient due to his humble demeanor and open willingness to state his successes were due to the strong belief in teamwork."

Japs-Olson Company was founded in 1907 by Barney Japs and G.F. Olson. Then a small print company, this family owned and operated company has grown to be a worldwide leader in direct mail services and commercial printing, employing more than 700 people and providing services to clients nationwide in a modern, 512,000-square-foot facility that operates around the clock.

Murphy joins a prestigious group of past recipients which includes Jim Andersen, IWCO Direct; Edward Barr, Sun Chemical Corporation; Thomas Brinkman, Sr., Metroweb Corporation; Ken Field, Sr., Continental Web Press; John Frautschi, Webcrafters, Inc.; Michael Keene, The John Roberts Co.; Remi Marcoux, Transcontinental USA, Inc.; Roger Perry, Perry Judds; Thomas Quadracci, Quad/Graphics, Inc.; F. Edward Treis, Arandell Corporation; and Jerry Williamson, Williamson Printing Corporation.

The Harry V. Quadracci VISION award is conferred to that offset printing industry executive who has reached an unsurpassed level of excellence and achievement in the industry. This award is dedicated to the spirit of those industry pioneers whose hard work and determination have created a growing and ever-changing industry. Join us in celebrating this year's recipient.

For more information about this award, please contact Laurie Reynolds at 412-259-1802 or via email at lreynolds@printing.org.

Did you know that Shipping/Receiving/Drivers Week is May 2–8?Take this opportunity to recognize these members of your staff with an Employee Recognition Award.

Printing Industries of America Makes Employee Recognition Easy
You can utilize our Employee Recognition Program to award your staff with the following:

• Certificate of Achievement—three certificates are available under this category, including production, administrative, and management
• Length of Service Certificate—celebrating 5, 10, 15, or 20 years of service
• 25-Year Congratulatory Certificate
• Wallet Cards—back by popular demand!

Honor your employees with an award from Printing Industries of America. For more information, visit www.printing.org/erp or contact Jim Kyger at 202-730-7968.

Students and their professors from universities around the globe were invited to participate with engineers, scientists and practitioners from the graphic arts industry in the Technical Association of the Graphic Arts (TAGA) Annual Technical Conference, its 63rd, held March 6–8 in Pittsburgh, PA.

Each year, the association invites members of its 14 global student chapters to compete for honors to be awarded to individual undergraduate and graduate students for achievements of technical excellence, as well as a grand prize awarded to an institution. The awards ceremony is held during a banquet at the end of three days of intense technical presentations from industry luminaries and exciting keynotes from inside and outside the industry.

Participating in the TAGA competition this year were students from Ball State University, California Polytechnic State University, Clemson University, Grenoble Institute of Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, Ryerson University, University of Wisconsin-Stout, and Western Michigan University.

Individual students have the opportunity to win the Harvey R. Levenson Student Paper Award and the Dusty Rhodes Graduate Student Paper Award, respectively. This year the undergraduate award went to Ruth Tupe, Rama Luksiarto, and Marianna Kosterina of Ryerson University.

The chapters themselves compete by creating exciting student journals, typically beautifully bound with color graphics and high-end finishing choices, demonstrating their technical skills and creativity in print. In addition to displaying manufacturing prowess, the journals showcase student papers, which are usually extremely interesting and highly technical. The journals characterize the high level of graphic arts education the TAGA students are receiving at the institutions they attend.

This year TAGA's highest honor, the Helmut Kipphan Student Publication Award was bestowed upon Rochester Institute of Technology by Martin Habekost, TAGA's VP of Education. Previous winners of the travelling cup include Ryerson University in 2010, Rochester Institute of Technology in 2009, Ryerson University in 2008, and California Polytechnic State University in 2007.

"The quality of this year’s journals and the submitted papers was outstanding," said Alexandra Pekarovicova, TAGA Vice President, Technical Papers and professor at Western Michigan University. “The panel of judges, representing industry and academia had a difficult time choosing the winners. It is a great tribute to the institutions, the chapter advisors and all of the professors, as much as it is to the students themselves.”

Beyond the awards, the technical conference is an action-packed three days including sessions presenting white papers; focus sessions; presentation of student chapter journals; poster papers; and presentation of the Bruno Award and Student Publication Awards. The annual TAGA Proceedings, derived from presented papers, are published and made available to members and for purchase through the TAGA web site at www.taga.org.

Next year's technical conference is March 18–21, 2012:

Hyatt Regency Jacksonville-Riverfront
225 E Coastline Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32202

For detailed information about becoming an individual member of TAGA--which is only $125 per year for a full professional membership--about sponsoring student activities at next year’s conference, or regarding joining industry leading companies like Dow Jones & Company, Inc.; Eastman Kodak Company; EFI, Inc.; FineEye Color Solutions; Flint Group; manroland Inc. North America; mimeo.com; Printing Industries of America; and Sappi Fine Paper as a corporate sponsors, contact TAGA Administrator, Jessica Meyers at jmeyers@printing.org. 

The InterTech Technology Awards honor excellence in innovation for the graphic arts industry and provide exposure for all entrants. More than 80% of the technologies that received an award have gone on to commercial success.

When you enter your latest innovation, it will be showcased to 50,000 individuals through the annual InterTech publication and inclusion in Printing Industries of America's e-newsletter.

Entry Deadline - May 31, 2011
The deadline is just around the corner. To enter a technology visit www.printing.org/intertechentries.

For more information about the InterTech Technology Awards, visit www.printing.org/intertech or contact Jim Workman at 800-910-4283, ext. 710 or jworkman@printing.org.

In 2010 industry sales rebounded from the lows of 2009, increasing by 2.79% to $144.6 billion. According to the Ratios Survey, profit as a percentage of sales (in profit leading printing companies) declined from 9.4% in 2008 to 7.0% in 2009. Therefore, despite the Great Recession, profit leaders still earned a significant profit before taxes.

How did these companies earn a profit in 2009 despite the weak economy?
Taking a look at the results from the Ratios Survey, the most impressive difference is the total Factory Cost of Product. As a percent of sales, the average printer dedicated 80% of their sales in this area, while profit leaders spent only 73.8%. This explains 75% of the divide in profitability between the leaders and the industry average.

Want to Learn More?
Participate in the 2011 Ratios Survey and receive a free volume of the Ratios Report—the leading financial benchmarking tool for the printing industry (a $200 value).

Survey Deadline: April 29, 2011
Visit www.printing.org/ratios to complete the survey. Once you complete the survey, you can purchase additional volumes of the Ratios Report at 50% off the regular price.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Ed Gleeson at 800-910-4283, ext. 756 or egleeson@printing.org.

Printing Industries of America is proud to announce that the recipient of the William D. Schaeffer Award is Dr. Gary David Miller, associate executive director of the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The William D. Schaeffer Award recognizes an individual's focus on advancing environmental awareness and action in the graphic communications industry. Dr. Gary David Miller will be honored at Printing Industries of America's Annual Spring Meeting on May 21st.

From 1985 until 2009 Dr. Miller was assistant director at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (formerly the Waste Management and Research Center) and twice served as Acting Director. Dr. Miller has been actively involved with providing pollution prevention assistance to businesses, developing ISTC's pollution prevention technology research capabilities, and developing related information resources.

During 2007 and 2008, Dr. Miller served as chair of the Board of Directors for the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable and for 12 years was director of the Printers' National Environmental Assistance Center, one of the first compliance assistance centers funded by USEPA. For five years he also served as subject editor for the Journal of Cleaner Production. Also, he is an active member of the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council representing the University of Illinois. Since their inceptions Dr. Miller has been actively involved in the Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable and the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable.

Prior to joining the Institute, Dr. Miller was Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science at the University of Oklahoma. From 1979 to 1985, he was also assistant co-director of the National Center for Groundwater Research at the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. Miller earned an M.S. in Environmental Science and a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Oklahoma. He also earned a B.S. in Biology from Oral Roberts University.

For more information about the award call Sara Welsh at 800-910-4283, ext. 705 or swelsh@printing.org. 

Take a few simple steps to show your employees that you value their hard work and dedication. Employee recognition awards are a simple, cost-effective way to boost morale and help retain your most effective, efficient team members.

Administrative Professionals Week
Did you know that Administrative Professionals Week is April 24-30? Take this opportunity to recognize members of your staff with a Certificate of Achievement specifically for administrative professionals.

Order your certificates today to ensure they arrive on time to present them to your staff during this special week.

Printing Industries of America Makes Employee Recognition Easy
You can utilize our Employee Recognition Program to award your staff with the following:

• Certificate of Achievement—three certificates are available under this category, including production, administrative, and management
• Length of Service Certificate—celebrating 5, 10, 15, or 20 years of service
• 25-Year Congratulatory Certificate
• Wallet Cards—back by popular demand!

Distinguish your employees with an award from Printing Industries of America. For more information, visit www.printing.org/erp or contact Jim Kyger at 202-730-7968.

If you ever experience unexpected results when producing a print job, let our Center for Technology and Research help you discover the issue and find the solution. Our laboratory services have helped companies save thousands of dollars in wasted downtime and consumables.

These services include quality checks on paper, ink, toner, coatings, and their interactions. We can also help you settle disputes with vendors and customers by offering unbiased, confidential, and conclusive results as to what happened and why.

So, even if it is the first time you've experienced a particular problem, remember that our expert staff has evaluated thousands of jobs and probably diagnosed your issue multiple times.

Take advantage of our laboratory services as part of your continuous improvement strategy. For more information visit www.printing.org/labservices, call 800-910-4283, ext. 784, or email us at labservices@printing.org.

Printing Industries of America is proud to announce a new product line for today's busy printing professional: MicroLessons. These modules are concise, practical, low-cost, and filled with information on key technology, business, and marketing trends. MicroLessons are available for download at the Printing Industries of America store for as little as $5 and $10. 

The MicroLessons line fills the needs of those that want more information that gets to the point quickly. MicroLessons are developed by extracting key information from Printing Industries of America’s current library of publications and presentations. These condensed lessons establish the solid foundation needed to tackle a variety of pertinent industry issues. The MicroLessons available now include:

• 8 Tips for Change: Management Lessons from Economic Downturns
• Common Web Press Procedures: A Quick-Reference Guide
• Grapevine 2.0: Monitor and Protect Your Brand Online
• LinkedIn 101: Get the Most Out of Your Network
• Sales & Customer Service in a Customer-Driven Landscape
• Troubleshooting Ink Problems on Your Press [Versions available for Offset Litho, Flexo, Gravure, and Screen Printing]
• Web Pressroom Safety: A Quick Reference Guide

More MicroLessons will be added as they become available. To stay up to date on new offerings, follow @printind on Twitter or check back to www.printing.org/microlessons. For more information about the MicroLessons line, contact Amy Woodall at awoodall@printing.org

Printing Industries of America will be holding Print’s Voice '11 in Washington, DC, June 14–16, 2011, which is a free conference for members of Printing Industries of America. This event will give printers the chance to deliver grassroots lobbying messages in Capitol Hill meetings with lawmakers and key staff. In addition, they'll hear policy updates from congressmen and attend sessions with members of congress regarding how they can help the printing industry.

"It's more vital than ever for printers to have a line of communication with the congressmen representing them on Capitol Hill," Lisbeth Lyons, vice president of Government Affairs at Printing Industries of America, says. "Print’s Voice '11 is designed to give printers the chance to network and talk about legislative goals with lawmakers on Capitol Hill."

A few of the featured speakers invited to Print’s Voice '11 are:

• Scott Brown, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
• Bill Daley, White House Chief of Staff
• Patrick Donahoe, Postmaster General of the United States & USPS Chief Executive Office
• Ron Johnson, U.S. Senator from Wisconsin
• Paul Ryan, U.S. Congressman from Wisconsin
• John Thune, U.S. Senator from South Dakota
• Fred Upton, U.S. Congressman from Michigan

Two of the standout sessions are Print Powers…America and Issue Briefings with Lawmakers/Key Congressional Staff. Print Powers…America is a meet and greet with the historic "Class of 2010" and features addresses from the newly minted House GOP Leadership team. This will also include a product sample display showcasing the size and scope of the diverse printing and graphic communications industry. Issue Briefings with Lawmakers/Key Congressional Staff will give printers the opportunity to discuss the issues surrounding the printing industry and how congress can impact it.

Print’s Voice '11 will be held in conjunction with the National Association of Manufacturers' annual Manufacturing Summit on June 14–16 in Washington, DC. The conference is free for members of Printing Industries of America and is $360 for non-members. There is an additional fee for guests of both members and non-members. For more information please visit www.printing.org/printsvoice2011. To register for the conference, call 202-730-7970.

Printing Industries of America helps to usher printers into the future of social media and technology with the newly launched, feature enriched, Social Media Field Guide Website. Located at www.printing.org/socialmediafieldguide, the online Field Guide offers printers a one-stop shop for expert insight, important links, and resources to get the most out of their social media efforts.

The website is maintained by Julie Shaffer, vice president, digital technologies, and Mary Garnett, executive vice president, authors of the recently released Social Media Field Guide. "New social media tools are being developed all the time and the current utilities are evolving at a rapid rate," Julie Shaffer says. "While the book covers the fundamentals and the core social media resources, the online field guide will provide users with insight into new developments as they occur."

To make the transition into social media easier for printers, the Social Media Field Guide Website gathers all the pertinent information and tips into one comprehensive site. In the "Field Notes" the blog Julie and Mary write about social media trends and share their experiences and knowledge as they dive deeper into the social media world. A social media RSS feed collects vital social media news and announcements from across the Web onto one easy-to-find page. There is also a "how-to tips" tab that links to tutorials to make the most of the top business-relevant social media platforms.

The Social Media Field Guide Website continues to grow with the content it covers. Printers looking to take advantage of social media should bookmark the social media field guide website and utilize this free resource from Printing Industries of America. For more information contact Julie Shaffer at jshaffer@printing.org or 412-259-1730.

Printing Industries of America is now accepting entries for the 2011 Premier Print Awards. The Premier Print Awards continue to celebrate the art and importance of print and provide a platform printers can utilize to gain recognition and be rewarded for their hard work and abilities.

The Prestige and Recognition

An award in this competition--whether a Certificate of Merit, an Award of Recognition, or "the Benny"--is an amazing achievement that can foster the growth of business. Jay Mandarino, president, C.J. GRAPHICS INC. (Printers & Lithographers), and a Benny recipient, says, "We find the Premier Print Awards an important program--one of the most important in the industry--because people are aware of it and understand that high quality pieces win this award. We’ve opened a lot of doors and increased business because of it."

Winning the Premier Print Award can help printers stand out from peers, boost morale, and is a great tool to include in their marketing mix.

A Category for Every Printer

With more than 100 categories to enter, the Premier Print Awards competition helps celebrate and embrace the flexibility, utility, and versatile nature of print. Printers have the option to submit the same piece into multiple categories or enter multiple pieces into the same category to maximize the potential to win an award. Categories are further broken down by company size.

All winners are listed on printing.org with their name and a link to their company's website. With more than 35,000 unique visitors logging onto the website each month, this spotlight can be the catalyst a company has been searching for in order to achieve higher profits.

The Perks of Winning a Benny

Flawless entries that receive top honors in the Premier Print Awards will be presented with the highly coveted Benny statue at the awards Gala on Sunday, September 11, at the Chicago Marriott. The Benny is one of the most sought after achievements for any printer and is a symbol of dedication and passion. Wyatt Hogue, vice president of Adams Lithographing Company, and last year’s Best of Show winner, says, "Winning a Benny reiterates to your customer that they are getting the premier, the best of the best, when they choose a Benny-winning printer."

Winners of the Benny are announced through a press release which is sent out to pertinent media outlets. In addition, Benny winners are included in an issue of Graphic Design USA and the Premier Print Award Supplement, a publication that is sent to thousands of print buyers across the country. Printing Industries also helps winners take full advantage of this attention by providing them with the Premier Print Awards self-promotion kit to help build upon their success.

Entering a Piece

Entering a piece is easier than ever, especially with our online entry form which will escort printers through the entry process and can be found at www.printing.org/ppaentries. Any piece produced since May 1, 2010, can be entered. Printers can enter before April 22 to take advantage of the early bird discount. For more information please don't hesitate to contact our Premier Print Awards Hotline at 1-800-910-4283 ext. 705.

For more information about the 2011 Premier Print Awards, visit www.printing.org/ppa.

Printing Industries of America announces that the next meeting of the Automation Solutions Network will be held at Bridge Publications in Los Angeles, CA, July 11–12, 2011. The meeting will include both the new distribution and fulfillment center and the digital production facility. The company’s facilities have been recognized as world leaders for their use of automation.

In addition to presentations on how to incorporate automation concepts into a print workflow, attendees will see how Bridge Publications has used automation and JDF technology to create a Lean and efficient workflow in a diverse production environment that includes digital, web offset, sheetfed, inkjet, and screen printing.

The new 185,000-square-foot facility automated distribution and fulfillment center officially opened this year and houses manufacturing, distribution, and administration all under one roof. This facility contains many manufacturing processes, including web offset, sheetfed, and wide-format digital. The mailing system is fully automated and is capable of addressing 150,000 pieces every eight hours. The entire shipping line is capable of shipping better than 500,000 boxes and individual items each week. Bridge Publications publishes and produces the nonfiction works of author L. Ron Hubbard. Its facility is the largest all-digital print-on-demand publishing house in the world and produces up to 500,000 books per week in a range of languages.

The Automation Solutions Network is organized jointly by Printing Industries of America and CIP4. Participants can register for $250. For more information on Bridge Publications and the activities for the meeting, visit http://www.printing.org/bridgepubmeeting. CIP4 is a not-for-profit global association which brings together vendors, consultants, and end-users in the print communications, graphic arts industry, and associated sectors covering a variety of equipment, software, peripherals, and processes. For more information about CIP4, visit http://www.cip4.org

The 2011 Continuous Improvement Conference, April 10–13 in Kansas City, will feature four high-profile speakers discussing strategies and tactics leading to operational excellence and customer satisfaction. The four speakers are John Goodman, founder and vice chairman of TARP Worldwide; Mal Warrick, director of operations technology, innovation support, and product integrity for Hallmark; John Lowry, general manager, Harley-Davidson Vehicle and Powertrain Operations, and Gwendolyn Galsworth, principal, QMI/Visual-Lean Institute.

Keynoting the first day of the conference, Goodman, one of the founders of the customer experience industry, will reveal how the analysis of damage to loyalty and word of mouth can be used to quantify the revenue implications of better service and quality. His presentation will address using tactics such as first-call resolution and segmentation to improve satisfaction and loyalty and create bottom-line impact.

Lowry, GM of the plant conference attendees will be touring, will speak about how he executes his responsibility to maintain operational excellence by fostering individual and team accountability using continuous improvement activities and by encouraging innovative thinking. Lowry will also address questions stemming from the plant tour.

Keynoting the conference’s closing day is Warrick of Hallmark, who will explain the strategies Hallmark is using to increase its efficiency and spur product development. Warrick's team leads and supports process innovation, strategic projects, and ensures the integrity of Hallmark's products from design to production.

Galsworth is a well-known educator, implementer, and researcher in the field of Workplace Visuality. She will share the basic definitions, principles, and concepts that are at the foundation of a visual workplace and should be part of any improvement strategy.

These featured speakers join 25 industry presenters who will be imparting their knowledge and insights about continuous improvement. For more information on all of the sessions at the 2011 Continuous Improvement Conference, please visit http://www.printing.org/ciconference. Contact Jim Workman, at (800) 910-4283 ext. 710 or jworkman@printing.org for additional questions.