Topeka, KS - The Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) is pleased to present its 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award in memoriam to Robert R. (Bobby) Waitts of Crown Roll Leaf, Inc. The award recognizes Waitts for his visionary leadership in the development and advancement of foil stamping technology and his commitment to pushing the envelope in the development of holographic diffraction grating and hologram products – making them economically feasible for mass production. In addition, Waitts will be honored for his trailblazing efforts in growing the industry on a global reach and for his passionate, unwavering belief in the people with whom he worked and to whom he attributed his success. 

In 1971, Waitts founded Crown Roll Leaf, Inc. with four employees and grew the company to a $68 million dollar global manufacturing enterprise over nearly three decades of leadership. Key to the growth of Crown Roll Leaf was Waitts’ commitment to expanding its product offering beyond the standard foil colors of gold and silver metallic into a variety of colors, glosses and mattes, tints, pearls and special effects. Because of his dedication to research and development, holographic diffraction grating and hologram products exploded into the market and now are used in a variety of consumer products and security applications.

Waitts was responsible for the manufacturing of the industry’s first 50-inch embosser, increasing production efficiency and reducing costs associated with the use of foil. He had a drive to expand his foil-stamped products into international markets and today, Crown Roll Leaf offers more than 2,000 products to customers in 60 countries. Robert R. Waitts passed away in 1998.

Waitts will be honored at the FSEA Gold Leaf Awards Banquet on April 29, 2014, in Milwaukee, WI, in conjunction with the FSEA*IADD Joint Conference, April 27-29.