Winners of 2021 Global Flexo Innovation Awards

With high-quality a pre-condition of entry, submissions were evaluated on four criteria – the efficiency of the company’s workflow, conversion from other print processes to flexo, the degree of creativity in the graphic design and the level of sustainable business practices in the project. 

 

Excellence in two categories received a silver award (seven winners), in three categories a gold award (five winners) and in all four categories a platinum award, demonstrating to the industry and to the winner’s customers a commitment to the highest level of print production. This year, Lorytex (Uruguay) became the first winner ever to receive the platinum commendation. The judges also awarded Highest Honors to four of the winners that they believed demonstrated the biggest impact on advancing the flexo printing process. 

 

Grant Blewett, chief commercial director, Miraclon, commented: ‘At a time where all of us were experiencing the additional challenges because of the pandemic, these winners prove that we’re not only part of an incredibly resilient industry, but one that continues to innovate with companies that drive creativity and efficient, consistent and sustainable manufacturing processes. 

 

‘The high conversion rates from other printing processes to flexo, focus on fixed color palette printing, and efforts to maximize on-press productivity and efficiency that also contribute to sustainability that we have seen in so many of the entries, all demonstrate how much the flexo industry is set to become the print process of choice for packaging.’  

 

Out of the top 13 companies, seven winners are based in Latin America, three in Europe, two in North America, and one in the Asia Pacific region.  

 

Highest Honors winners include: 

Gold award winners include Cromograf and Strong SA, Uruguay (joint entry) and U. Günther and Flexo-Service Cl. Jaehde, Germany (joint entry). 

 

The Silver award went to Litoplas Colombia, Numex Blocks India, Tadam and Gruppo Sada, Italy (joint entry), Technofilms, Guatemala, Teruel – Papeis Amalia, Brazil and Victory Graphics and Caps Cases, UK (joint entry).  

 

The independent judging panel for the Global Flexo Innovation Awards comprised experts in the packaging value chain from design to print production and sustainability. The members were Christopher Horton (USA), graphic services consultant (lead judge); Laurel Brunner (UK), journalist and consultant, Verdigris;  Stefano d’Andrea (Italy), flexo and industrial graphic expert; and Dr. Kai Lankinen (Finland/Germany), chairman and co-owner, Marvaco. 

 

Sebastian Longo (Argentina), president and MD, Fotograbados Longo; Ken McGuire (USA), research fellow, Procter & Gamble; Jason Goode (Australia), packaging design and development professional; and Dr. Chip Tonkin (USA), chair – Department of Graphic Communications, Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design & Graphics were also in the judging panel.