Seven Florida Winners Take Home the Top National Prize

ORLANDO - Forty-two of Florida's top printing and graphic communications firms were recognized with 223 prestigious print awards at Loew's Royal Pacific Hotel, during the reception that is the traditional highlight of the 24 year-old Award event produced by  Printing Association of Florida. Ten Florida high schools and universities were awarded numerous Best of Category, Award of Excellence, and Honorable Mention recognitions.
 
Six Florida companies went on to take home 7 Benny Awards at the national level, where a total of 36 Florida projects were recognized in Printing Industries of America's Premier Print Awards competition. Printing Industries of America is the world's largest graphic arts association. The six companies enjoying top honors are: Associated Printing Productions, Inc. (APPI); Lauderdale Graphics; National Communications, LLC; Progressive Communications; Rapid Press, Inc., and Southeastern Printing, which was awarded the Benny for two projects.
 
"The Sunshine State's hospitality industries continue to make up a large part of the work commissioned here, but we are also seeing increasing numbers of Fortune 500 and 1000 companies turning to Florida's high-quality, progressive, and full service communications firms for their traditional, as well as digital and multi-channel, capabilities," said George Ryan, CEO and President of the Printing Association of Florida, an affiliate of Printing Industries of America. Examples of Florida printing firms' clients represented in the Award-winning pool include Bacardi, Harley Davidson, and The World-Residences at Sea.
 
Ryan went on to thank the Florida Print Award Weekend sponsors: Fujifilm, Greenstar Recycling, Heidelberg, HP, Mac Papers, Océ, Xerox and xpedx.

Trophy winners at the Florida Awards are those who secured "Best of" category or "Best in Show" distinctions.
 
Ryan shared the stage with Jim Ronecker, Chairman of the PAF Board of Directors, and Art Abbott, Immediate Past Chairman of the PAF Board of Directors, during Award presentations. In one particularly touching moment, PAF Board Member Rich Sierra announced that the Best of Show Student Division Award has been named the Charles DePalma Award. The award was named in memory of DePalma, who was very active in the Printing Association of Florida throughout his career. Charles DePalma's wife, Mary DePalma, presented the Award to Erin Love Taylor of Santa Fe Community College.
 
Another special guest at the banquet was Marilyn Monroe (i.e., an impersonator from Universal Studios Orlando), who presented the awards to the trophy-winning companies and posed for photos. Marilyn also stayed and mingled with guests at the Industry Appreciation Party, sponsored by Mac Papers, after the Awards banquet.

A list of all winners can be found here