The Flexographic Technical Assn. formally unveiled 141 award-winning pieces of printed work at a gala dinner, attended by nearly 1,000 active flexographers May 6. Each print job taking the spotlight at Nashville's Opryland Hotel and Convention Ctr., host site for the Foundation of FTA's 2001 Forum, captured a gold, silver or bronze award in the FTA's 2001 Excellence in Flexography Awards.

Collectively the packages, displayed on video screen for all to see, represented the best in the industry. Honors were presented in line, screen and process classifications for each of six major categories: wide-web, mid-web, narrow-web, combined corrugated, preprinted linerboard and design.

Best of Show recognition went to six specific print samples, which stood out among the field of 637 entries. Each captured a gold award in its respective category. Those winners included:

• Wallace Computer Services for First USA Vodka—Narrow Web (Process Film)
• Sommerville Packaging for Fruit & Fibre Peaches, Raisins & Almonds—Mid Web (Process Paperboard)
• Pliant Corp. for Private Selection Dark Sweet Cherries—Wide Web (Process Film)
• Great Lakes Packaging Corp. for Baqua Spa Maintenance Kit—Combined Corrugated (Line)
• Inland Paperboard and Packaging for Yeungling & Son Inc. Variety Pack—Preprinted Linerboard (Process)
• Pacific International Rice and Smurfit Stone Container Corp. for Pacific Medium Grain Rice—Design

Mark Cisternino, FTA president, praised the work of everyone involved in the awards program. "I'll hold our Excellence in Flexography Awards Competition judging up against any other competition out there. Led by a dedicated Awards Committee (chaired by Doug Nelson of Water Ink Technologies), we have gone to great lengths to ensure that the selection process is objective and truly recognizes technical achievement rather than simply visual appeal."