Tomorrow’s Flexo Industry Employees Rewarded!

Charlotte, North Carolina - On Saturday, May 2 near the honky tonks of Nashville TN, fifty-three students from nine different colleges across the United States made music to the ears of judges at the 8th annual Phoenix Challenge college competition. Each team showcased their problem-solving skills and knowledge of graphic arts and flexography, presenting their months-long projects in professional business presentations to a host of seven judges.  

The competition requires students to develop, create and present a full solution roadmap of research, design and printed/converted execution to a viable business-centric problem. The projects take form over an entire college semester and allow each student team to apply their business acumen, analysis, design creativity and flexography knowledge. It comes to a conclusion when each team presents their project during an all-day presentation and evaluation event.

Winners of the categories are honored the next day and presented with trophies and scholarships to aid in further pursuing a future in flexography.

Congratulations to this year’s winners:

• Overall Winners – Clemson University – Nona Woolbright (Instructor) Summer Long, Caroline Weaver, Jason Cagle, Becky Bunch, Kariahlyn Lindsey, Jon Kalshoven
• Graphics & Concept – California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) – Colleen Twoney (Instructor), Meredith Stewart, Mikayla Byars, Isabella Baldwin, Hannah Giorgi, Kristen Minischmidt, Taylor Fenster
• Execution – Ryerson University – Ian Baitz (Instructor), Elina Shafigullina, Vanessa Blum, Kim Sipkens, Dennis Soler, Darren Brandt, Daniel Langsford
• Research – Central Missouri State University – Mark Rankin (Instructor), Andrew Kniest, Caitlin Stauffer, Jordan Surber, Jen Tran, Lauren Hadley, Jack Wrisinger

“We are so proud of our competitors this year. All the judges commented on the superior knowledge and creativity of each of the teams. We are honored to call this group of students the future of the flexo industry,” said Bettlylyn Krafft, chairman of the Phoenix Challenge Foundation.

Major sponsors of this year's event included: Harper Corporation of America, Anderson & Vreeland, Mark Andy, Esko, Sun Chemical, TEST-FFTA, All Printing Resources, ALC Group, 3M, Bryce Corporation, and FFTA.

To purchase a sponsorship to next year's or any other PCF event, please contact Bettylyn Krafft at 704-309-3748, or visit phoenixchallenge.org for more information.