Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, - Printing Industries of America has started the Managing for Improvement Award to honor excellence in leadership in the printing and graphic arts industry. The annual award will recognize a manager in the printing industry who has demonstrated the ability to create real and lasting improvement for his or her company. The award's first recipient will be honored at the 2013 Continuous Improvement Conference, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Candidates must have a clear record of leading people, teams, and/or projects to higher levels of performance. Areas of achievement include leadership in the application of continuous improvement practices such as Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, ISO 9001, total quality, and good manufacturing practices. Nominations should provide evidence of measurable improvements in quality, efficiency, productivity, safety, and/or customer satisfaction in either production or service. At least one letter of recommendation is required.

Nominations are open to any individual working for a printing and graphic communications company in the U.S. or Canada. The nomination deadline is Friday, February 15, 2013.

In addition to being acknowledged by industry peers at the Continuous Improvement Conference (April 7–10), the recipient and company will be highlighted in various media releases.

Visit www.printing.org/improvementaward for more information or contact Elise Cohen, at 412-259-1713 or [email protected].