Winners of the 2012 Sappi European Printers of the Year

Brussels, 28 March 2012

 

Passion, Tactility and Differentiation; Winners of the 2012 Sappi European Printers of the Year chosen because of their skill in using printing techniques that stand out from the crowd​

Sappi Fine Paper Europe is proud to announce the 2012 winners of the Sappi Printers of the Year Competition. Gold, Silver and Bronze winners have been selected for each of the 11 printing categories on the basis of their commitment to excellence in printed communication. In a very tough competition, with increasingly high standards, the crème de la crème stood out as a result of their ability to use creative and quality printing techniques to differentiate their subject matter. In a prestigious competition that has been in existence since 1985, Sappi is delighted to witness and support continuous printing innovation for paper.

 

Standing out and attracting attention is not an easy feat. There is competition in every sector, and with every product, and even in the natural world! Being ‘unique’ is no longer enough.  The winners of the 2012 Sappi European Printers of the Year competition clearly recognize that quality, creativity and most importantly, differentiation are what matters. The printed matter that they produce for themselves and their clients needs to have an impact on the intended recipient. Highly skilled printers using the best materials have the ability to trigger emotions, and prompt action such as the need to touch, or the desire to have.

 

At the announcement of the winners, Sophie de Guignard, Marketing Communications Events Team Leader for the Sappi European Printers of the Year competition said, “With over 1500 entries to go through, our judges really had their work cut out for them. Despite the hard times that the printing industry is going through, it’s clear that European printing is maintaining the high standards that it has set for itself and equates to high quality printing in the industry. We’re delighted at the success of the 2012 edition of the competition and look forward to celebrating with our winners throughout Europe.”

 

As part of a number of its commitment to support and connect with printers, Sappi will be hosting a number of local award ceremonies throughout Europe where gold winners will be able to profile themselves and their excellent work by inviting clients and customers to partake in the celebrations. Sappi really believes that by getting closer to our customers, by
listening and getting to know the people behind the winning entries, together we can continue to create, innovate and importantly, differentiate. For further details on the winning entries, please visit our website: www.sappi.com/printersoftheyear

 

The full list of winners is as follows:

 

Further information on the award can be found on the Sappi website[www.sappi.com/printersoftheyear]

ENDS

Further Information for the Media

About Sappi Printers of the Year Competition
With several awards and initiatives in place, Sappi encourages partners and individuals alike to come up with outstanding projects to highlight the benefits of paper.  
Well established amongst the international printing community since 1985, the Sappi Printers of the Year awards challenges printers to find the best processes, the best papers and the best combination of experience and graphic materials to achieve the best results for their customers.
Every second year, Sappi presents its European Printers of the Year awards. There are 11 categories to choose from, entry is free and there’s no limit to the number of submissions you one can make. An independent panel of print industry experts judge the entries, awarding one gold, one silver and one bronze medal per category. Winners showcase innovation and
excellence and demonstrate how print continues to be a vital and relevant medium.

 

Judges

The selection Panel comprised of 5 independent and external judges:

  • Mr. Kai Hagenbuch [Publisher PrintCom Brazil/PrintCom Latina]
  • Mr. Giuseppe Meana [President and Managing Director Cartografica Pusterla, Italy]
  • Mr. Bernhard Nahm [Member of Heidelberg‘s Print Media Centre Management Board,
    Germany]
  • Mr. Michael Seidl [Managing Director, Print & Publishing International Verlag GmbH,
    Austria]
  • Mr. Ronald Widdershoven [Advisory Board Member STIVAKO, the Netherlands]

Mr. Kai Hagenbuch [Publisher PrintCom Brazil/PrintCom Latina]
Kai Hagenbuch is a graduate of the University of Mannheim, holding a degree in Business
Administration. He began his career at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen in Heidelberg,
Germany, where he worked as Sales Supervisor. He then moved to Brazil, where he worked
progressively at Gutenberg, as Sales Manager and Sales Director; Heidelberg do Brasil, as
President; and Graficos Burti as Executive Vice President. Since 2000, he has been
Publisher at PrintCom Brasil/PrintCom Latina.
He was a judge at ABFlexo in 2004 and the HP Digital Printing contest in May 2010.

Mr. Giuseppe Meana [President and Managing Director Cartografica Pusterla, Italy]
Giuseppe Meana is a graduate of the Polytechnic of Milan, where he obtained a degree in
Architecture. He has worked in a wide range of positions, including President of Young
Entrepreneurs Varese Confindustria, Member of the Central Committee G.I. Confindustria,
President of Graphical Entrepreneurs Varese, President of the Italian Institute of Packing,
President of GIFASP, Councilman of PRO-CARTON Italy and Visiting Professor at the
Faculty of Design of POLES ME. As well as holding the position of President and Managing
Director Cartografica Pusterla, Italy, he is also President of Pusterla 1880 France sas and a
member of the board of directors of COMIECO (Consortium for Paper and Cardboard
Recovery and Recycling).
Mr. Meana is President of the Foundation House Velini-Tradate, a charity which aims to help
the elderly; he is also an active member of the ASSOGRAFICI council, the Italian Institute of Packaging Council, the E.N.I.P.G. (National Agency for Graphical Professional Training)
Council and the GIFASP (Italian Group Manufacturers of folded boxes) Council.

Mr. Bernhard Nahm [Member of Heidelberg‘s Print Media Centre Management Board,
Germany]
Bernhard Nahm began his career in the graphic arts industry with an apprenticeship as an
offset printer at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG. He worked as a printing instructor at the
company's Print Media Center before going on to study Graphic Art Technologies at the
Hochschule für Druck & Medien in Stuttgart, earning a Master’s degree in that subject. He
subsequently rejoined Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, in the product management group
for Direct Imaging technologies. He then moved to the Print Media Center (PMC), initially as
a project engineer, and has been a member of the management team of the PMC since
2001, in charge of personnel and organizational development. The Print Media Center is a
fully equipped sheetfed offset printshop serving the company as the main showroom, with
approximately 150 employees and currently more than 120 printing units installed.

Mr. Michael Seidl [Managing Director, Print & Publishing International Verlag GmbH,
Austria]
Michael Seidl is a graduate of the Graphic Arts Institute in Vienna. He has worked in the
publishing industry for over 25 years, in various functions, and in particular for print and
packaging magazines. He founded the PRINT & PUBLISHING group in 1990 and worked to
expand the group’s business in Central- and Eastern Europe. He introduced both Graphic
Arts and packaging magazines in these markets.
Mr. Seidl has an excellent network in the Graphic Arts industry, and is a well known and
respected publisher and trade press journalist. He has participated in juries for several
different awards, and has also organised awards in the printing and packaging industry. He is
a member of several branch organisations.

Mr. Ronald Widdershoven [Advisory Board Member STIVAKO, the Netherlands]
Ronald Widdershoven is a graduate of the Dutch High School of Graphic Arts. Over a career
that spans 43 years, he has worked for several printers, a publishing company, a paper
wholesaler and a bookbinder. He spent 17 years of his working career as a director at
Hexspoor Bindery, one of the biggest bookbinding companies in The Netherlands. He is
currently a member of the advisory board of STIVAKO (foundation for the education of
middle management in the Graphical Industry).
In 2006 Mr. Widdershoven was a juror for the "Best designed books from all over the World"
competition in Leipzig, Germany. He volunteers as a senior expert for the Printing, Paper and
Board sections of the PUM foundation, which helps companies in developing countries to
improve technical, commercial and management skills in many types of businesses. Mr.
Widdershoven is also the chairman of a foundation for the preservation of nature, landscape
and improvement of biodiversity in the Province of Noord Brabant in the Netherlands.

 

DRUPA 2012

Sappi will be showcasing the winning entries from the 2012 Printers of the Year during

DRUPA, the leading trade fair for media and print. They will be located at the Success

Stories on Paper stand in Hall 2 / Heidelberg: 2B37. For further information please visit

www.sappi.com/drupa

 

About Sappi
Sappi Fine Paper Europe is the leading European producer of coated fine paper used in premium magazines, catalogues, books and high-end print advertising. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Sappi Fine Paper Europe is recognised for innovation and quality. Its graphic paper brands include Magno, Quatro, Royal, Galerie and GalerieArt ranges. Algro, Fusion, Leine and Parade are the brands for speciality labelling, topliner, packaging papers and boards. Jaz is the paper brand for digital printing.
Sappi papers are produced in mills accredited with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification and EMAS registration for all our mills in the EU. SFPE’s mills hold chain-of-custody certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and/or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) schemes.
Sappi Fine Paper Europe is a division of Sappi Limited (NYSE, JSE), a global company
headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with over 14,900 employees and manufacturing
operations on four continents in 9 countries, sales offices in 50 countries, and customers in over 100 countries around the world. Learn more about Sappi at www.sappi.com.

For further information

Elsa Mouillé
Press & Media Relations Coordinator
Tel: +32 2 676 97 25
Mobile: +32 479 588 009
Elsa.mouille@sappi.com