NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies has awarded its 2011 Harold W. Gegenheimer Individual and Corporate Awards for Industry Service to Jochen Meissner, President & Chief Executive Officer, Goss International Americas, Inc.; and, manroland, Inc., respectively. The awards, named for the former NPES president and Baldwin Technology Company chairman emeritus, recognize leadership and participation in NPES and industry activities, civic leadership and technical innovation. The awards were presented at the NPES 2011 Annual Conference, held October 17–19, in Palm Beach, Florida.

Meissner, recipient of the Individual Service Award, has extensive international experience with leading suppliers in the printing equipment industry.  Currently, he is president and CEO of Goss International, where, as a member of the senior management team since 2002, he has been instrumental in establishing Goss as a premier brand in the print industry, expanding the company's focus and resources through the acquisition of Heidelberg Web Systems, and extending its technology leadership position through unique innovations within its web press and print finishing product platforms.

A passionate supporter of the industry, Meissner has served on the NPES Board of Directors for the past seven years. His longtime and dedicated involvement in NPES also includes volunteer service on the Programs & Meetings and Market Data Committees. He is a regular participant at the Association's Annual Conferences and events, and most recently the Vision 3 Summit. As newly elected Treasurer, he currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the NPES Board of Directors.

"Jochen embodies all the best qualities of Harold W. Gegenheimer: a lifelong commitment to technical advancement, unique innovation, sound management and leadership, and tireless work on behalf of the industry," said Ralph J. Nappi, president of NPES.  "We are honored to be able to recognize Jochen's great influence on, and many contributions to, our industry."

Manroland, the Corporate Service Award recipient, has been a top developer of computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) for well over a decade.  Recognized for providing leading innovations in printing systems, from commercial through publications to packaging printing, manroland was most recently recognized with an InterTech Award for their Autoprint APL (automatic plate loading system).

"For its numerous industry and association contributions, manroland has been a steady force in our industry in both good and bad times, always supporting NPES and also other industry organizations," said Ralph J. Nappi, president of NPES.

In addition to being a consistent participant at industry tradeshows and events, such as GRAPH EXPO and PRINT, manroland has been an enthusiastic supporter of NPES through the active involvement of its leadership on various association committees and task forces.  Most recently, manroland President Vince Lapinski's service on the NPES Board of Directors is a reflection of the organization's commitment to all aspects of our industry.

"Manroland exemplifies the dedication to our organization and our industry the Gegenheimer Award was designed to honor, and we are grateful to have benefited from the company's commitment to both," said Nappi.