Brussels, 09 July 2012
In 2012, as part of a number of initiatives that Sappi is taking to work more closely with its customers under the banner of Sappi, the art of adding value, the company announced its decision to go and meet the winners of the European Printers of the Year and celebrate with them locally (rather than have the winners come to them). What a success this has been! Celebrations have been taking place throughout Europe since the winners were announced in March.
The consensus from the winners, and from local Sappi representatives was that this format makes sense. In addition to helping Sappi to get closer to its customers and understanding their needs better, it gives them the opportunity to recognize the excellent work done by the printers, in the community that they are based.Sophie de Guignard, Marketing Communications Events Team Leader for the Sappi Printer of the Year competition said, “We are delighted at the feedback that we have received from all corners of Europe. The Printers of the Year competition is a long standing award designed to reward and recognize print excellence; the standards have always been very high so it’s a great opportunity to support and recognise printers and their businesses locally.”
Celebratory events to recognise coveted Gold Winners along with Silver and Bronze winners in the same region so far have included a particularly prestigious function in Schloss Bensberg in Cologne, Germany; an exclusive reception and dinner in Château Neercanne near Maastricht in Holland; and a fiesta in the splendid Casino de Madrid, Spain. Representatives from Sappi HQ, including Berry Wiersum, CEO and Marco Eikelenboom, Director of Sales and Marketing attended the different events. Silver, Bronze and Blue Green Award winners are also being celebrated and acknowledged with local events throughout the summer.
A full list of winning entries can be found on Sappi European Printers of The Year.
The Sappi European Printers of the Year awards encourage printers to find the best processes, find the best papers and find the best combination of experience and graphic materials to achieve the best results for their customers. It is of great importance for Sappi to recognize printers who give their utmost and set increasingly higher standards in print excellence.
Announcements concerning the 2014 edition of the European Printers of the Year competition will be made in the coming months.
ENDS
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.
