Each year Sappi, which is the world's largest producer of coated fine paper (they make Strobe, Lustro [LOE], Opus, Somerset), sponsors an international awards competition to honor the best printing in the world. There are six categories in the competition: Annual Reports, Books, Brochures, Catalogs, Magazines, and General. In North America, a silver award winner for each category is chosen from thousands of entries from six different regions (NorthEast, MidEast, MidAtlantic, MidWest, South, and West). We received word several weeks ago that we had been chosen as a silver award winner in the Brochures category for the MidAtlantic region, and Paul Schmitz was invited to attend the awards banquet in Boca Raton. At the dinner, a gold award winner was announced for each category. From all the thousands of entries in North America, Schmitz Press was chosen as the best in the Brochures category and received the gold.

Now the company will compete at the international level. At the Sappi International Printer of the Year awards, which will be held in Berlin, Germany; a single winner will be chosen from four regions of the World: North America, Europe, Africa and Other Trading Regions. Schmitz will be one of six companies from North America to compete. If Schmitz is selected as the single North American winner, we will then compete against the single winners of the other world regions for the honor of being selected as the sole "Sappi International Printer of the Year"

Whether we go any further in this competition or not, winning the Gold Award in the North American competition is a very special honor. The competition includes the biggest and most well-known printers in the U.S. and only six are chosen to receive a gold award.