PINE has announced the winners of the Association’s Awards of Excellence Competition. The announcement was made April 4 during PINE’s 2013 Industry Awards Gala, held at the Newton Marriott in Newton, MA, with more than 250 industry professionals in attendance. PINE’s Awards of Excellence Competition, experienced a 50% increase in entries submitted and companies participating from the previous competition. Printing and imaging companies across New England competed in a variety of printing and graphic communications categories such as best annual report, direct mail campaign, corporate identity package, and more. 

A panel of judges with extensive experience in printing and print production, examined the wide range of work submitted. They employed a blind judging process to ensure complete objectivity in judging all the entries submitted. The judging criteria included: registration, clarity and neatness, sharpness of halftones and line drawings, richness and tonal qualities of color, paper and ink selection, ink coverage, use of coatings, difficulty of printing, effective contrast or softness, overall visual impact and bindery.

Winners were awarded a Pinnacle (Best of Category), Award of Recognition or an Award of Merit. This years winners were:

Acme Bookbinding (Charlestown, MA): 1 Pinnacle

Amherst Label Inc. (Milford, NH): 1 Award of Recognition

Bassette Company (Springfield, MA): 6 Pinnacles, 2 Awards of Recognition, 1 Award of Merit

Bay State Envelope (Mansfield, MA): 1 Pinnacle

Boutwell, Owens & Co., Inc. (Fitchburg, MA): 1 Pinnacle, 1 Award of Recognition, 1 Award of Merit

Braintree Printing (Braintree, MA): 1 Award of Recognition

CompuMail Corp (Southington, CT): 2 Pinnacles, 2 Awards of Recognition

Courier Corporation (North Chelmsford, MA): 1 Award of Merit

Curry Printing (Westborough, MA): 1 Pinnacle, 1 Award of Recognition

Daniels Print Communications (Boston, MA): 2 Pinnacles

DS Graphics (Lowell, MA): 4 Pinnacles, 6 Awards of Recognition, 1 Award of Merit

Echo Communications, Inc. (New London, NH): 1 Pinnacle, 4 Awards of Recognition

Essex Printing (Centerbrook, CT): 1 Award of Recognition

Excelsior Printing (North Adams, MA): 1 Award of Recognition, 1 Award of Merit

Flagship Press (North Andover, MA): 3 Pinnacles, 8 Awards of Recognition, Award of Merit

Fusion Cross-Media (Manchester, CT): 2 Awards of Recognition

Gannett Publishing Services – Boston (Norwood, MA): 1 Award of Recognition

George H. Dean Company (Braintree, MA): 1 Pinnacle, 2 Awards of Recognition

Graphic Arts Finishers, Inc. (Charlestown, MA): 1 Pinnacle

Graphic Litho (Lawrence, MA): 1 Pinnacle

Integrity Graphics (Windsor, CT): 1 Pinnacle, 4 Awards of Recognition, 2 Awards of Merit

International Accessories (Pawtucket, RI): 1 Pinnacle, 2 Awards of Recognition

J.S. McCarthy Printers (Augusta, ME): 6 Pinnacles, 2 Awards of Recognition, Award of Merit

Keno Graphics (Shelton, CT): 1 Pinnacle, Award of Recognition

MacKinnon Printing Co., Inc. (Acton, MA): 2 Awards of Recognition

Packaging Graphics, LLC (Pawtucket, RI): 1 Award of Merit

Penmor Lithographers (Lewiston, ME): 5 Pinnacles, 2 Awards of Recognition, 1 Award of Merit

PrintSynergy Solutions (Brockton, MA): 2 Awards of Merit

Puritan Capital (Hollis, NH): 4 Pinnacles, 2 Awards of Recognition, 1 Award of Merit

Qualprint (Pittsfield, MA): 1 Pinnacle, 2 Awards of Recognition

Regal Press (Norwood, MA): 2 Pinnacles, 4 Awards of Recognition, 2 Awards of Merit

Shawmut (Danvers, MA): 3 Pinnacles, 2 Awards of Recognition, 2 Awards of Merit

Sheppard Envelope Co. (Auburn, MA): 1 Pinnacle

Sun Hill Press (North Brookfield, MA): 1 Award of Recognition

Superior Packaging & Finishing (Braintree, MA): 2 Awards of Recognition

The Allied Group (Cranston, RI): 3 Pinnacles, 7 Awards of Recognition, 3 Awards of Merit

The Artcraft Company (North Attleboro, MA): 3 Pinnacles, Award of Recognition

The Prospect Printing Company (Prospect, CT): 2 Pinnacles

Trumbull Printing (Trumbull, CT): 1 Pinnacle, Award of Merit

Universal Wilde (Westwood, MA): 2 Pinnacles, Award of Recognition, 2 Awards of Merit

All the Pinnacle winners were judged against one another to select the Best of Show winner. This year, J.S. McCarthy Printers took home the top award for their 2013 self promotional calendar entry. The Best of Show award was sponsored by Ricoh Production Printing. DS Graphics was voted as the People’s Choice winner by Gala attendees for their Nantucket Magazine entry. The People’s Choice award was sponsored by Canon Solutions America.

Additional sponsors of the event were Heidelberg, Xerox, International Accessories, HP, Mohawk, Cyprian Keyes Golf Club, Equinox Resort & Spa, GPA, Grow Socially, interlinkONE, KBA, Offtech New England, Prisco, Red Tie Inc., Renaissance Alliance, RISO, Sheppard Envelope, Superior Printing Inks, Techkon, The Tripp Co., and The Union Group.

“Our judges have a total of 90 years of print production experience and are invited across the country to judge other print competitions, so they have seen all levels of print,” said Christine Hagopian, PINE’s Director of Programs. “They felt the quality of entries were superb. Our winners should be very proud of their work, their people and their accomplishments. Print is alive and well as this event affirms.”

PINE is the largest trade association to serve printing and graphic communications companies in New England. PINE serves more than 360 member companies through a wide range of products and services that enhance member profitability. The Association is affiliated with the world’s largest graphic arts trade association, Printing Industries of America.