St. Paul, MN – The Printing Industry Midwest (PIM) held its annual Star of Excellence Awards Banquet on April 28, 2011, at the University of Minnesota's McNamara Alumni Center. The evening began with a keynote address by economic forecaster and commentator, Dr. Joe Webb, WhatTheyThink.com. Webb was available at an afternoon CEO Roundtable to sign copies of his book, Disrupting the Future: Uncommon Wisdom for Navigating Print's Challenging Marketplace.

The Star of Excellence Awards recognized outstanding leadership, customer service, production and printed materials. The 2011 Graphic Arts Industry Leader of the Year Award was presented to David Baumgardner, Chief Financial Officer at Smyth Companies, St. Paul. The past recipients select each new member of this elite list annually. Baumgardner was chosen for his leadership and expertise in the finan- cial side of the printing industry.
"David Baumgardner is an outstanding individual and truly an ambassador of print." Said PIM President David Radziej.

The Peoples Choice Award (selected by banquet attendees) was presented to The John Roberts Compa- ny for their media kit entry. Derynn Meyer, IWCO Direct, Chanhassen, received the 3rd Annual Customer Service Representative of the Year Award, and Mike Farr, GLS Companies, Brooklyn Park, received the 2nd Annual Production Professional of the Year Award.

The evening was rounded out with the announcement of the Star of Excellence Best of Show. This year's winner, chosen by a panel of qualified judges, was Bolger Vision Beyond Print, Minneapolis. Their winning entry, David Yurman MENS, was praised by the judges for its finishing techniques and fine printing execution.