Newtown, Conn. – The Independent Carton Group (ICG), an association of 18 independently owned and operated folding carton manufacturers, is pleased to announce that FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division, is the recipient of its Supplier of the Year Award for 2017. The award was presented last week at the 21c Museum Hotel in Cincinnati during the ICG’s general membership meeting, which was hosted by Zumbiel Packaging, one of the group’s five founding member companies.

“It’s an honor to receive this prestigious award from ICG members. I think it’s a testament not only to our product quality and continued innovation, but also to our exceptional service,” said Dale Schmitt, corporate account manager at Fujifilm, who was in attendance to accept the award. “Fujifilm has made a huge investment in support and training, educating everyone in a customer-facing position so that we can truly be a partner to our customers.”

Fujifilm supplies ICG members with printing plates, pressroom consumables, and a wide range of technologies used in the production of offset and digitally printed folding cartons, corrugated packaging and other paperboard packaging solutions. Fujifilm became an ICG supplier in 2006. It is one of more than 40 reputable companies supplying equipment and materials to the ICG members through the group purchasing program, which was introduced in 1999.

“We value Fujifilm’s partnership and congratulate the team on this well-deserved recognition,” said Jay Willie, executive director of the ICG. “As the industry looks toward the future of paperboard packaging and digital printing, the needs of our members will continue to shift. Fujifilm has demonstrated its ability to innovate and keep pace with an evolving industry.”

The ICG’s Supplier of the Year Award has been presented annually since 2012 to the supplier that receives the highest marks on evaluations completed by members for the prior calendar year. ICG members rate suppliers on quality, delivery, accuracy, service, expertise and other key performance metrics. Evaluations are used both as the basis for selecting the award recipient and as a means of assessing suppliers and sharing feedback to strengthen partnerships.

Kim Pearce, ICG, and Dale Schmitt, Fujifilm.