PARAMUS, N.J., JANUARY 27, 2004 – The National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) has selected 27 graphic communications companies to receive 2003 Management Plus Awards, which recognize management excellence in all phases of operation. NAPL bestowed its highest Management Plus honor, the William K. Marrinan Hall of Fame Award, on Flower City Printing, a Rochester, N.Y.-based large-format printer. Six companies earned Management Plus Gold Awards, nine received Silver Awards, and 11 were named Merit Award winners. Gold Award winners included Action Printing, Fond du Lac, Wis.; Branch-Smith Printing, Fort Worth, Tex.; CIGNA Printing & Distribution, North Charleston, S.C.; Friesens Corporation, Altona, Manitoba; The Sheridan Press, Hanover, Pa.; and Wordsprint, Wytheville, Va. “Being successful in today’s challenging and rapidly evolving graphic communications industry requires nothing short of management excellence,” said Joseph P. Truncale, NAPL president and CEO in announcing the winners. “Every one of these companies has achieved that excellence and we’re pleased and proud to honor them with our Management Plus awards.” The awards will be presented at a special banquet on Feb. 26, 2004, during NAPL’s Top Management Conference in Naples, Fla. The annual NAPL Management Plus award program is sponsored by Compass Capital Partners, MAN Roland, and American Printer magazine. In addition to receiving the award, the Hall of Fame inductee and the top Gold Award winners in each category have 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.