Consumer packaging prepress services company SGS International, Inc. is celebrating today after being named “Business Partner of the Year” by global brand-leader - The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG).

P&G has over 75,000 global suppliers and partners; only 12 received the award – announced last Thursday in Cincinnati during P&G's annual Business Partner Recognition Dinner. The award recognizes those partners that have demonstrated partner excellence; leading the way for the growth of P&G and its objectives. 

Procter & Gamble has been a customer of SGS International for the majority of the company's 65-year history. SGS International and its subsidiaries provide a myriad of core services – including packaging graphics, marketing services and cylinder manufacturing, which support a number of P&G brands.

The award isn't SGS International's first – last year the company walked away with a P&G “Excellence Award”, which was given to just 80 of the company's suppliers.

Rick Hughes, Chief Purchasing Officer of Procter & Gamble, holds the award winners in the highest regard:

“I congratulate all of our award winners, especially those who were recognized as ‘Business Partner of the Year,’” said Rick. He continues, “Our external business partners are an important part of the Company’s ability to innovate and grow, and critical to the work we do at P&G every day. Every consumer who uses a P&G brand benefits from these relationships, which enhance our ability to fulfil our Purpose of touching and improving consumers’ lives.”

Equally, every member of the SGS International team is delighted to have been recognized with such a prestigious award, including Terry Dunn, SGS Vice President of Sales and Global P&G Account Manager, who said:

“This is the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication by a truly passionate group of employees who are obsessively focused on delivering the highest quality products and right-the-first-time services to P&G. We are finished celebrating and are now working towards maintaining our high level of service. It’s back to business working towards a second “Business Partner of the Year” award”. 

The company also scored another first – the first packaging prepress company to win the award. Marriott W. Winchester, Jr., the company's Senior Vice President, is extremely proud of what the team achieved:

“We have dozens of staff across the United States, Mexico, Europe and Asia locations that work directly with our P&G account, and we couldn't have done it without them. Of course, each of our entire team of 2200 individuals contributes to our overall success each and every day. We firmly believe that we are the global leader in packaging prepress services – and will now get back to what we do best – servicing our accounts and continuing to develop and grow our team of experts”, says Marriott.