April 2004 -- Orlando, Florida – The nation's premier printers and designers have been awarded gold awards at the annual Sappi Printer of the Year gala, hosted by Sappi Fine Paper North America at the Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, Florida, on the evening of 03 April 2004. With more than 600 printers submitting nearly 3,000 pieces of work, and with 900 designers submitting 1,800 entries, the competition was fierce and the winning submissions were unprecedented in quality. The 2004 Sappi North American Printer of the Year gold award winners are: Category Printer Entry Annual Reports L P Thebault Company Parsippany, NJ International Flavors & Fragrances Inc Books Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company Portland, OR Montana Brochures Anderson Lithograph City of Commerce, CA Cadillac XLR 2004 Catalogs Model Offset Printing Humacaco, PR The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art & The Alphabet Magazines Quad Graphics Sussex, WI Nature's Best Fall 2003 General Anderson Lithograph City of Commerce, CA Hummer Calendar "Print is such a unique and powerful medium…it speaks to people in a very personal and persuasive way," said Kathy Walters, Sappi Fine Paper North America President and CEO. "These awards not only recognize the best work in the industry, but provide us an opportunity to step back and appreciate how print and design significantly impact our daily lives." An independent panel of industry experts judged the submissions. Winners will go on to compete for the Sappi International Printer of the Year award hosted in Cape Town in October 2004. One will be selected as Sappi North American Printer of the Year, and may win the international prize. Sappi Printer of the Year Sappi Printer of the Year has been held annually in South Africa since 1979, in Europe since 1993, and in North America since 1996. The award recognizes printer excellence and innovation for work printed on Sappi papers, and is the only global honor of its kind that recognizes excellence in printing craftsmanship and design.