East Rutherford, N.J. - The National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) has issued a Call for Entries to the 32nd annual Management Plus Awards Program, sponsored by manroland. The program gives companies of all sizes an opportunity to gain industry-wide recognition for their management excellence during award ceremonies at NAPL's Best in Business Conference, Nov. 13-15 in Washington, D.C. The deadline for entries is July 15, 2011.
 
To enter the competition, companies first complete an NAPL Best Practices Assessment and receive a detailed evaluation of their management strengths and weaknesses in areas such as leadership, finance, sales, marketing, and operations. The assessment scores are then submitted to the awards program, where Gold, Silver, or Merit Awards are given in several categories based on company size or in-plant status.
 
Each year, one company is also honored with the William K. Marrinan Management Plus Hall of Fame Award for consistent excellence in the program, including having garnered at least five NAPL Management Plus awards. In 2011, NAPL expanded the program to include a new "Masters" category that enables previously "retired" Hall of Fame Award winners to compete for a new management distinction in one of the industry's most prestigious competitions.
 
"The Management Plus Awards are not only among the printing industry's most significant accolades, but stand out as the only competition that takes into consideration the entirety of company management-weighing every aspect of business stewardship, from strategic planning to community relations," says NAPL President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph P. Truncale, Ph.D. "It is a signal honor that is reserved for the industry's best managed companies."
 
The comprehensive NAPL Management Plus Best Practices Assessment diagnostic tool asks company executives to answer questions about their strategic planning, sales, marketing, finance, operations, human resources, leadership, and community/industry relations. Based on an analytical evaluation of management competencies, NAPL industry experts can help company leaders pinpoint areas of opportunity and develop a plan for maximizing their effectiveness.
 
Management Plus entries may now be completed electronically, using templates available on the NAPL website at http://www.napl.org/2011MgmtPlusAwards, and the entry deadline has been moved to mid-July so that entrants may have ample time to assemble and provide a full calendar year of data for the awards competition.
 
"The changes we have made to our Management Plus program this year will enable us to offer faster and more detailed information to companies completing the Best Practices Assessment," says Truncale. "Company leaders will be able to see clearly the areas where they are performing at a high level, as well as those where they can make improvements. Even if they decide not to enter the awards competition, they will take away an invaluable management review."
 
For three decades, hundreds of companies have taken advantage of the assessment and more than 150 businesses have won NAPL Management Plus Awards. For more information about NAPL's Management Plus program entry fees or to receive a free copy of the NAPL Management Plus Best Practices Assessment, contact David Fox at (770) 675-3249 or [email protected], or visit www.napl.org