Honoring Innovation

Published: August 29, 2003, By Edward Boyle, Contributing Editor

TLMI Annual Award Competition

The TLMI Annual Awards Competition is one of the most popular benefits of membership in the organization, with award plaques proudly displayed by winning companies literally around the world.

The competition, which was established in 1978, is designed to stimulate and recognize both innovative printing and technical achievement by TLMI members in all areas of narrow web printing, including tags and labels, cartons, flexible packaging, nonwoven pressure-sensitives, and more.

The rules are simple: To be eligible for the contest, all entries must be production samples made for a customer (not in-house promotional materials), must have been converted through roll-fed production equipment, and must not have received a TLMI award in that same sub-category previously.

Expanded Entries
Like the organization itself, the competition has grown substantially over the years. For example, in 1982, just 16 companies submitted 108 entries. This year's competition drew 273 entries from 54 converters.

When the competition was launched 26 years ago, there were only three p-s label categories (paper, non-paper, and foil) and two tag categories (industrial and merchandising). This year, entries were judged in a variety of categories, including flexography, letterpress, multi-process, offset, screen printing, gravure, and EDP labels; coupons and tags; and promotional and plateless printing.

Winning the Best of Show Award is the ultimate achievement for competing companies, perhaps because it is no easy task. In fact, no company has ever won the award in consecutive years, and none have won the award more than once in more than ten years.

Winning entries in this year's competition will be announced at the TLMI Annual Meeting, which will be held October 15-18 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, FL.

Best of Show Winners
2003—To Be Announced
2002—Dow Industries
2001—Valley Forge Tape & Label
2000—Adams Label & Tag Ltd .
1999—Custom Tape & Label Co.
1998—Label Technology Inc.
1997—Impressive Labels
1996 - Spectrum Label Corp.
1995—GBS Labeling Systems
1994—Artcraft Converters
1993—Advanced Web Technologies
1992—Gar-Doc Inc.
1991 - Lewis Label Products
1990—Custom Tape & Label Co.
1989—Lewis Label Products
1988— Artcraft Converters
1987—Gar-Doc Inc.
1986—Lewis Label Products
1985—Mid America Tag & Label
1984—Gar-Doc Inc.
1983—Mid America Tag & Label
1982—National Label Co.*
1982—Denney-Reyburn**
1981—Dot Mfg.*
1981—Dot Mfg.**
1980—Packaging Systems Corp.
* Label Div. / ** Tag Div.

Since 1987, the TLMI Converter of the Year Award has been given annually to a deserving member. Following is a list of honored recipients.

• Converters of the Year

• 2002—Lon Martin, LGInternational

• 2001—David Bankson, Label Technology Inc.

• 2000—Terry Fulwiler, Wisconsin Label

• 1999—Bruce Bell, Belmark Inc.

• 1998—The Buckley Family, Custom Tape and Label Co.

• 1997—Andrew Beck, API Graphics

• 1996—Jerry Nerad, TimeMed Labeling Systems

• 1995—Joseph A. Weber Jr., Weber Marking Systems Inc.

• 1994—Bob Klas Sr., Tapemark
  1993 - John O'Brien, Porter Chadburn Inc.

• 1992—George Noah, Lewis Label Products

• 1991—Dick Schwartz, Aladdin Label

• 1990—Pat Patrick, Label America

• 1989—Jim English, Kalamazoo Label

• 1988—Darrell Dochstader, Gar-Doc Inc.

• 1987—Don McDaniel, MPI Label Systems