PARAMUS, N.J., JULY 20, 2007 – The Soderstrom Society of NAPL (www.napl.org), trade association for excellence in graphic communications management, has named Joseph A. Becker, CPA, recipient of the 47th annual Walter E. Soderstrom Award. One of the graphic communications industry’s most prestigious honors, the award will be presented to Becker at the annual dinner meeting of NAPL’s Walter E. Soderstrom Society, at the Art Institute of Chicago, on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2007, the eve of GRAPH EXPO.
This year, the Soderstrom Society Dinner will also mark the beginning of a year-long celebration of NAPL’s 75th Anniversary (see related July 20, 2007, NAPL press release.) 
In announcing this year’s Soderstrom honoree, Joseph P. Truncale, NAPL president and chief executive officer, noted that “Joe has a long and impressive record of helping printers deal effectively with the many challenging and complex financial management issues involved in running a graphic communications enterprise. Both this Association and the industry in general has benefited from his expertise and his commitment. All of us at NAPL and the Soderstrom Society congratulate him on this well-deserved honor.”
Named for the late Walter E. Soderstrom, one of the founders of NAPL, the award has been bestowed annually since 1961 to a distinguished individual who has contributed significantly to the development and progress of the printing industry. The recipient is selected by fellow members of the Soderstrom Society, an honors organization that provides industry leaders with the opportunity to exchange ideas, suggest improved practices, and recognize the contributions of their peers, including printing firm owners, equipment manufacturers, consultants, and educators.
An impressive career 
Joseph A. Becker is a founding partner of Becker & Co., which recently merged with H.R. Margolis & Co., to form MargolisBecker, LLC, Lanham, MD. Becker has been a consultant to the printing industry for more than 30 years. His areas of expertise include finance, production standard, compensation, and incentive packages, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic planning.
Becker is currently engaged by many printing companies on a continuing basis as a consultant and acts as facilitator to printing peer groups. Several of these companies began business with zero sales and no employees and, after 15 to 25 years, grew to $30 million in sales and over 200 employees.
He is a frequent speaker on a range of financial management topics, including cash management, business valuation, strategic planning, and other business planning issues, and is a lead professor of the Financial Management course of NAPL’s Management Institute.
Joe has been a consultant for both NAPL (www.napl.org), the trade association for excellence in graphic communications management, and the Printing Industries of America (PIA), and is a member of NAPL's Soderstrom Society. He is a frequent contributor to industry publications with articles on tax and estate matters, family businesses, and succession issues.
For information on the Soderstrom Society Dinner, contact Joan Kasper, NAPL vice president/Associate Partnerships & Board Relations, at (800)642-6275, ext. 6344, or [email protected].