Branchburg, NJ - October 4, 2007 - Agfa Graphics today announced the two inaugural honorees for its Environmental Recognition Awards program that acknowledges customers who use "green" technologies at their plants and use those technologies to promote environmental awareness through marketing to their customers. Both honorees, H&S Graphics of Lodi, New Jersey (USA) and Accell Graphics of London, Ontario (Canada), use Agfa's chemistry-free :Azura plates.
The award recognizes Agfa customers whose environmental efforts go beyond using ThermoFuse products from Agfa.  ThermoFuse technology, which physically bonds images to plates using a low-power laser, is the technology behind Agfa's popular chemistry-free :Azura and low-chemistry :Amigo plates.
H&S Graphics, which promotes itself as a company that provides "Environmentally Friendlier Printing," is a family-owned business in northern New Jersey that began in 1986, though it traces its printing roots back more than 85 years.
"In addition to ThermoFuse, we are proud to lead the way with several other important programs, such as paper recycling that recycles 99% of all paper products used, plate recycling that recycles 100% of the aluminum plates used, the utilization of zero V.O.C. (Volatile Organic Compounds) inks, and more environmentally-friendly press solutions," said John A. Santangelo, executive vice president, Sales & Marketing, H&S Graphics.  "Letting our customers know that quality and price do not need to be sacrificed in order to be environmentally responsible has given us a competitive edge."
Accell Graphics, in business for 21 years, is an FSC Certified full-service design and printing facility in Ontario that goes to great lengths to promote environmental awareness, in part, by publicizing its own proactive approaches to the environment.
"Besides being chemistry-free, we recycle 99% of all production materials, we utilize 'Green Power' such as wind and low-impact hydro-generated power for all our energy needs, and we even repurpose our out-of-date computers for other uses in-house," said Warner Tenkate, owner of Accell Graphics. "Agfa's recognition program for environmental awareness is a wonderful way to spread the word that it is no longer difficult to be 'green' and we are honored to have been selected as one of the leaders in the movement."
"Many printers are adopting 'greener' policies today, thinking about the years ahead and their responsibilities toward future generations. Agfa is continuing to do its part in the area of technological research & development. Many of our customers, like H&S and Accell, are doing their parts not just by using our greener systems solutions, but also in adopting many programs of their own," said Agfa Graphics' Michael Davis, CtP marketing manager, North America. "We hope our recognition program helps inspire others to move their efforts progressively forward."