2015 Winners
* * *Print Celebration
In 2015, more than 200 people gathered in Toronto to celebrate the progress and innovation of Canada's influential printing industry. Now in its 10th year, PrintAction's Canadian Printing Awards program is based on four distinct sections, including: Printing, Environmental, Technology, and Industry Achievement.Industry Achievement Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement Award
Dick Kouwenhoven, Chairman and CEO, Hemlock Printers
Less than a year immigrating to Canada from The Netherlands in 1961, Dick Kouwenhoven began to form what is now recognized around the world as a trailblazing printing company not just in terms of its high-end sheetfed perfecting capabilities and bleeding-edge adoption of imaging technologies, but also in its environmentally progressive position.
The day after Kouwenhoven arrived in Vancouver, BC, he found work as a typesetter based on the experienced he gained from eight years of learning and working the trade in his Dutch hometown of Delft. Six months later he joined a small storefront printery by the name of Hemlock Printers and soon after took on an ownership role. In 1968, Kouwenhoven bought out his partner and incorporated Hemlock Printers, borrowed some money to install better presses, hired staff, and moved to larger premises.
During the 1970s, Hemlock Printers expanded with two large-format presses and began producing two-colour direct mail for Eatons, Simpsons-Sears and other major retailers. Hemlock became a true force in the Vancouver print market in the 1980s with the installation of more presses and, in 1986, moved to its current location in Burnaby. The BC facility expanded again in 1993 to make room for Hemlock’s full-service prepress department as the company began its world-first journey into computer-to-plate imaging with Vancouver’s Creo Inc.
Hemlock, which was one of the first independent printers in BC to reach into the U.S. market, is now one of the largest commercial printers in the Pacific Northwest, housed in a state-of-the-art 79,000-square-foot facility employing more than 170 people, with sales in excess of $30 million. It remains a privately owned family enterprise built on what Kouwenhoven describes as service integrity, quality products and a commitment to continuous innovation. Hemlock also now operates 100 percent carbon neutral and is a global business leader in sustainability.
Printing Leader of the Year
Jay Mandarino, Founder, President & CEO, C.J.
Graphics, Printers & Lithographers
Jay Mandarino oversees the daily operations of 24 companies with total sales reaching over $33 million. More than 60 percent of C.J. Group’s 24 companies have been purchased over the past five years, including 10 over the last two years.
In February 2015, the C.J. Group began putting the final touches on its new 80,000-square-foot facility located on the perimeter of Toronto’s downtown core. As a result, C.J. Group is now comprised of close to 160,000 square feet across three facilities. Mandarino holds the ambition to become the largest independent full-service printing operation in Canada and continued to move toward this goal in 2015 by installing North America’s first Scodix Ultra Pro with Scodix Foil and Canada’s first Highcon Euclid II+ system.
Mandarino’s founding company, C.J. Graphics Inc., which he started out of his parent’s basement in 1980, remains as the core of C.J. Group and, in 2013, installed a new Heidelberg XL 105. In 2015, C.J. Graphics added two massive Italian Sais screen presses, running 70 x 120-inch sheets, and unique Océ LightJet photographic presses (apparent 4,000-dpi resolution) to compliment its new wide-format printing division.
Mandarino is also well-known for his philanthropic pursuits in helping to raise more than $50 million over the past 26 years for more than 250 different charities.
Emerging Leader of the Year
Damian McDonald, President, ampersand
When Damian McDonald was in his early-20s, he faced a decision about whether to continue a promising career in Web development, which had taken him to epicenter of computing power in California, or to join his father, Mike, to lead the family business into the future.
McDonald chose to leave Silicon Valley and return home where ampersand was housed in Guelph, Ont. His technological influence was immediately felt at the company, which pushed its 29-inch sheetfed press to print well over 500-line screen, one of the only printers in Canada to do so, while also working to overcome the early-day bottlenecks of sending massive data to one of the region’s most advanced digital presses.
McDonald also focused on emerging XML interchange with prepress and led ampersand to win consecutive CIP4 awards for Best Process Automation, competing against world-leading printers. As President, McDonald is now driving ampersand into the future in a new Guelph facility with a Xerox iGen 150 and a 40-inch press that continues to produce High Definition staccato.
Community Leader of the Year
Scott Gray, Vice President, Branding, MET Fine Printers
Scott Gray, responsible for bringing together the passions of one of the world’s most-renowned printing companies, spends countless hours driving the Canstruction Vancouver program, now entering its 14th year.The non-profit competition, founded by MET Fine Printers, brings teams together to build sculptures out of canned goods, which are put on public display across the city, before 100 percent of the food is donated to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society (GVFB).
In its 13-year history, Canstruction Vancouver has raised an estimated $3,673,392 in retail value of food for GVFB (1,394,892 total cans from 259 sculptures). In 2015 alone, the program generated 36,922 pounds of food from 74,465 cans (with an average value of more than $14,000 per sculpture), while its exhibits were seen by more than 67,000 people.
World-class printing
An independent judging panel, working from a blind scoring system, poured through more than 230 submissions to determine Gold, Silver and Bronze recipients across 21 Quality Printing categories, as well as a Best of Show winner from the entire group. Recipients of the Environmental Printing categories, which are the foundation of the Canadian Printing Awards, were determined by PrintAction magazine based on more extensive submissions.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Best of Show
Hemlock Printers
Leo Saul Berk, Structure and Ornament
Production challenge: Hemlock explains this project, with high expectations on a tight budget, required critical colour reproduction for the text, with exact crossover alignment and an inline spot gloss varnish applied to the images. This was produced in a single pass on Hemlock’s 10-colour Heidelberg perfector. To compel the readers, continues Hemlock, the cover uses fluorescent inks, lamination and white foil stamping. Given a short run of 750, Hemlock explains all the elements of the project came together to achieve an outstanding product at a competitive price.
Brochures & Booklets, Digital
Gold: O.P.I. Culture of Color by PDI Integrated Print Solutions
Silver: Intact Insurance Distinction by The Lowe-Martin Group
Bronze: Bua Thai Menus by C.J. Graphics, Printers & Lithographers
Books, Hardcover
Gold: Leo Saul Berk, Structure and Ornament, by Hemlock Printers
Silver: West Coast Reduction by MET Fine Printers
Bronze: Cameracraftsmen of America by Friesens Corp.
Books, Softcover
Gold: Grosvenor Ambleside by MET Fine Printers
Silver: Get Quiet, Live Loud, by MET Fine Printers
Bronze: PanAm Games Opening Ceremonies by The Lowe-Martin Group
Books, Digital
Gold: The Molsons by PDI
Silver: Risk Takers, The World is in Beta, by C.J. Graphics
Bronze: E One The Shop by C.J. Graphics
Web Offset Printing
Gold: 1879 by Birks, Spring 2015, by St. Joseph Communications
Silver: Canadian Sportswear by Impart Litho
Bronze: Holt Renfrew Fall 2015 Catalogue by St. Joseph Communications
Business & Annual Reports
Gold: Intertain 2014 by Mi5 Print & Digital Communications
Silver: PowerStream 2014 by Skylar Media
Bronze: University of Waterloo 2014 by Somerset Graphics
Direct Mail
Gold: 1942 Donjulio Brochure by C.J. Graphics
Silver: Kit and Ace Blogger Invitations by Hemlock Printers
Bronze: Griffin Poetry Prize Invitation by Mi5 Print
Variable Data Imaging
Gold: Sobeys Best Customer by PDI
Silver: Engagement Calendar by Friesens
Bronze: The 700 Club Program by Honeycomb Mailing Services
Magazines
Gold: DesignEdge, March/April 2015, by C.J. Graphics
Silver: Mountain Life Annual by Hemlock Printers
Bronze: Nuvo Spring 2015 by Colour Innovations
Calendars
Gold: Edmonton, Now & Then by Priority Printing
Silver: Toronto Tree Portraits by C.J. Graphics
Bronze: Ultimate Sailing 2015 by Friesens Corp.
Catalogues
Gold: Sorel Look Book 2015 by Hemlock Printers
Silver: Infinity QX60 by C.J. Graphics
Bronze: Artist Series by Hemlock Printers
Flexography
Gold: Gillette Venus Swirl FLEXIBALL by Friesens Corp.
Silver: Raven Deep Dark Red by ASL Print FX
Silver: Corona, Glow in the Dark Pennants, by Promoflex International
Bronze: Bespoke Chardonnay by Artcraft Label
Rigid Packaging
Gold: Smarties Three Portion Carton by Jones Packaging
Silver: Alluring Maple Leafs Box by The Lowe-Martin Group
Silver: Sudafed Head Cold + Sinus by Jones Packaging
Bronze: Philadelphia Jalapeno Dip by Polytainers
Labels
Gold: Dinosaur Uncut Press Sheet by The Lowe-Martin Group
Silver: Crown Royal Black Label by C.J. Graphics
Bronze: EOS Sansin by RP Graphics Group
Business Cards
Gold: Gusto 54 Business Card by Somerset Graphics
Silver: Arcane Business Card by C.J. Graphics
Bronze: Russell Gibbs Design Business Card by Somerset Graphics
Stationery
Gold: Sandbox Society by C.J. Graphics
Silver: Ruby & Shiller Barristers by C.J. Graphics
Bronze: LGM Pocket Folder by RP Graphics Group
Finishing
Gold: String of Pearls Catalogue by Pacific Bindery Services
Silver: Roland Security Papers by C.J. Graphics
Bronze: PBS Holiday Cards by Pacific Bindery Services
Specialty Project
Gold: Sophmore magazine by Colour Innovations
Silver: Nike Young Athletes Book by MET Fine Printers
Bronze: Horizons ETFs Program Kits by The Lowe-Martin Group
Specialty Effects
Gold: One Thousand Museum Book by C.J. Graphics
Silver: Infiniti QX60 Brochure by C.J. Graphics
Bronze: Corona, Glow in the Dark Pennants, by Promoflex International
Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Project
Gold: CROPP Sustainability Report by Hemlock Printers
Silver: NEI Winter Fund Focus by The Lowe-Martin Group
Bronze: Toronto Tree Portraits by C.J. Graphics
Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Company
Gold: Hemlock Printers
Silver: The Lowe-Martin Group
Bronze: Symcor ISS
Most Environmentally Progressive Service or Technology
Gold: The Blueline Report 2015 by Canopy
Most Environmentally Progressive Technology Company
Gold: HP Canada