PARAMUS, N.J., January 2, 2003 – The National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) has named 28 graphic arts companies as winners of its 2002 Management Plus Awards, which recognize management excellence in all phases of operation. The in-plant operation of Allstate Insurance Company, Wheeling, Ill., is the recipient of the William K. Marrinan Hall of Fame Award, the highest honor in the Management Plus Competition. Three companies have been honored with Gold Awards, 11 with Silver Awards, and 13 organizations have earned Merit Awards. [A complete list of award winners is attached.] “For a company to succeed in today’s challenging business environment, management excellence is an absolute must. Each and every Management Plus award winner has exhibited that excellence, and we extend our since congratulations to all of them,” noted Joseph P. Truncale, NAPL president and chief executive officer, in announcing the winners. The awards will be presented at a special banquet on Feb. 20, 2003, during NAPL’s Top Management Conference 2003, in Scottsdale, Ariz. The annual NAPL Management Plus award program is sponsored by Compass Capital Partners, MAN Roland, and American Printer magazine. In addition to the award, the Hall of Fame inductee and the top Gold Award winners in each category receive the honor of presenting scholarships to the graphic arts schools of their choice. The scholarships are funded by NAPL and the Management Plus sponsors. All Management Plus award winners become members of the NAPL Management Plus Society, a peer group dedicated to improving and promoting the graphic arts. The Society offers valuable opportunities for networking with executives of leading companies in the industry. About Management Plus: Unlike other graphic arts competition in which printed pieces are judged, NAPL’s Management Plus program asks graphic arts companies to conduct an analysis of specific areas of their operations. In that way, the program becomes a diagnostic tool that printing company leaders can use to judge their own management performance against accepted industry standards. Participants compete in one of six categories: five based on size and one for in-plant printers. Management Plus entrants are judged on how they perform against industry standards in nine key areas: internal control systems; financial performance; marketing/sales plan; business planning; human resources; environmental/safety concerns; quality control; community/industry affairs; and vendor relations. For more information about NAPL’s Management Plus program, contact Robin Schabacker, program coordinator, at (800) 642-6275, ext. 1307. About NAPL: Chartered in 1933, the National Association for Printing Leadership is a not-for-profit trade association representing the $88 billion commercial printing industry. NAPL’s mission is “To enable the printing community to profit from change” through a full range of management and educational services to its membership, including conferences, seminars, periodicals, books, consulting, and economic data and analysis.