The recipient of the 2013 R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award is today announced as Tomas Rink, president Ritrama Group. The Label Industry Global Awards judging panel met in Munich prior to the opening FINAT’s annual Congress, to review nominations across four award categories.

The R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Avery Dennison, recognizes the values and vision of Stan Avery and his pioneering efforts. Tomas Rink joins fellow industry luminaries including RotoMetric’s Steve Lee, Helmut Schreiner, Nilpeter’s Lars Eriksen and FLEXcon’s Neil McDonough.

Tomas joined his grandfather Arnold Rink in the then small family-run flexible packaging company near Milan in 1968. Soon after, they jointly decided to move into the new European market for pressure-sensitive laminates, coating filmic materials with solvent-based technology. With Tomas behind the company’s drive for growth and internationalization, Ritrama took its first international steps by establishing Ritrama UK in 1982. Acquisitions followed in the USA in 1990 and in Spain in 1994 before FAD was acquired in 2000.

Today, Ritrama has 10 international manufacturing facilities, over 30 coaters and global distribution centers and sells high quality filmic labelstock in more than 60 countries generating an annual turnover in excess of €400 million. Still the group’s figurehead, and son Ricardo as managing director, Tomas continues to look at new business development and industry solutions.

During the same meeting, the judges also announced the shortlist of nominations of the three other categories. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony and gala dinner at Brussels’ The Event Lounge during the first evening (24 September) of Labelexpo Europe 2013.  A limited number of award ceremony tickets are still available. Reservations can be made at www.labelawards.com with individual tickets priced at €140 and tables of 10 at €1,200.

The 2013 finalists are:

The European Converter of the Year Award, sponsored by Flint Group Narrow Web (in alphabetical order):

• Eshuis
• Stratus Packaging            

The Award for Sustainability, sponsored by Xeikon (in alphabetical order):

• Avery Dennison
• Nanovis
• Spear Europe

The Award for Innovation, sponsored by Labels & Labeling, Label & Narrow Web and NarroWebTech (in alphabetical order):

• Flint Group Narrow Web
• JM Heaford
• Holographic Label
• Kodak
• Label Works
• Mark Andy (x2)
• Nuova Gidue
• PowerForward

The judging panel for the 2013 awards chaired by Mike Fairley, director of strategic development Labelexpo, included: Kurt Walker - president of FINAT, Frank Sablone - president of TLMI, Andy Thomas - group managing editor of Labels & Labeling, Wolfgang Klos-Geiger - publisher and editor of G&K TechMedia and Steve Katz - editor of Label & Narrow Web.