At the 2012 NAQP Owners Conference, Duplo was honored with the Product of the Year award for its high production digital color finishing solution, the DC-745 Slitter/Cutter/Creaser. Duplo was recognized along with four other Industry Award recipients at the conference's Industry Luncheon held on Saturday, October 6th at the DoubleTree Hotel Magnificent Mile in Chicago, IL.

Watch the video of the award presentation here.

Paul Strack, president of CustomXM and NAPL committee member, presented the award. "It's my pleasure this year to present the Product of the Year to Duplo for the DC-745 Slitter/Cutter/Creaser," announced Strack. "The Product of the Year is presented to a company that has produced a new or enhanced product during the past year that improves product offerings, profitability or customer service in the quick and small commercial print markets."

Si Nguyen, national business development director at Duplo USA, accepted the award on Duplo's behalf. "It is an incredible honor to have our DC-745 Slitter/Cutter/Creaser awarded the Product of the Year. The DC-745 has proven to be a great finishing solution for digital printers and we've been very pleased by the response it has received in the industry," said Nguyen. "Our first slitter/cutter/creaser model, the DC-545, was released back in 1999 followed then by the DC-645 and DC-615 models, which for the past decade have continued to be very successful products for Duplo. We listened to customer feedback and heard the need for an enhanced solution for higher production. Our engineers at Duplo Japan took this feedback and worked countless hours to make it happen." He added, "The DC-745 helps print providers offer unique applications and helps them be more efficient…more profitable…and more productive, enabling them to take advantage of the opportunities in the markets they serve."

Since its release in 2011, the all-in-one DC-745 Slitter/Cutter/Creaser has proven to be a success with high volume digital printers with its ability to produce a wider range of uniquely finished applications. Performing up to 10 slits, 25 cuts and 20 creases in a single pass, the DC-745 eliminates white borders and toner cracking on fold lines, producing professionally-finished documents in a matter of minutes. The versatile digital color finisher also offers a range of extended capabilities, which include perforating, slit-scoring, micro-perforating and soon, folding and embossing. Users can go beyond basic finishing and create innovative, full-bleed applications such as business cards, greeting cards, perforated tickets/coupons, and much more.

The National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) announced a call for nominations in August for its annual NAQP Industry Awards - namely Printer of the Year, Industry Award of Distinction, Supplier of the Year, and Product of the Year - to recognize those in the graphic communications industry who have made significant contributions and had a positive impact on the quick and small commercial print industry. Nominations are submitted by association members and reviewed by a panel of industry experts.

The 2012 NAQP Owners Conference – Embracing Change: Finding New Paths to Profits – took place Thursday, October 4th through Saturday, October 6th. It is the only industry event dedicated solely to specific issues and interests of owners and executives in the quick and small commercial printer segment.