David Savastano, Editor09.23.21
Each year, the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) honors the women and men who have served the ink industry through the years with two awards: The Printing Ink Pioneer Award and the Ault Award, the North American ink industry’s most prestigious honor.
Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 Annual Spring Convention as well as the 2021 version. For more than a year, NAPIM has been unable to recognize the nine Pioneers and the Ault Award honoree.
“One of the highlights of NAPIM’s Annual Spring Convention is our awards dinner and event. Sadly, the past two conventions were canceled due to the pandemic,” said Jim Leitch of Wikoff Color, who served as NAPIM’s president from 2018-2020, and Gregg Dahleen of Central Ink, who is NAPIM’s current president.
“As a result, our Printing Ink Pioneer and Ault award winners have not been properly acknowledged. Our intention was to present the 2020 awards at the 2021 convention. When that convention was canceled, we realized that we would need to recognize these colleagues in different way,” they added.
“The 2020 award winners were all really deserving – it’s a shame we haven’t had the opportunity to present it to them in person,” said John Copeland, NAPIM’s executive director. “To a person they have all served the ink industry so well.”
To honor these 10 deserving individuals, NAPIM has put out a handbook recognizing their awards, and is hoping that they will be attending the 2022 convention, which will be held April 8-11, 2022 at the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, St. Petersburg. FL.
The Ault Award honoree is:
Maria Vivy DaCosta – VP Administration and Sales Dirctorate, hubergroup
“In particular, I want to mention Maria Vivy DaCosta, our Ault Award winner – she is very diligent and conscientious and always gives 100 percent,” Copeland said. “She has been a longtime supporter of NAPIM and served as a NAPIM board member, where she always provided great input and suggestions.
“I am so honored,” DaCosta said. “I worked will all of these superhero people in the ink industry and it is so humbling to receive the Ault Award. I am over the moon.”
The Printing Ink Pioneer Award honorees are:
• Chris Allen, Global Key Account Management, Sun Chemical Performance Pigments
• Michael P. Gerkin, President and CEO, Kustom Group
• Bryce Kristo, EVP, CFO and General Affairs, INX International Ink Co.
• William McDermott, Publication Inks, Ingevity
• Joe Mele, Sales Representative for United Mineral and Chemical Corporation
• Harold Osorio, Regional Technical Manager Southeast, Sun Chemical
• Christopher A. Parrilli, President, North American Ink, Sun Chemical
• Corey Soeldner, VP of Procurement North America, Sun Chemical
• Bruce Wolfe, Technical Director, Flint Group
“Our nine Pioneer Award winners also deserve to be recognized for their achievements,” Copeland said. “I really wish to congratulate the winners and I hope we can all get together in 2022.”
Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 Annual Spring Convention as well as the 2021 version. For more than a year, NAPIM has been unable to recognize the nine Pioneers and the Ault Award honoree.
“One of the highlights of NAPIM’s Annual Spring Convention is our awards dinner and event. Sadly, the past two conventions were canceled due to the pandemic,” said Jim Leitch of Wikoff Color, who served as NAPIM’s president from 2018-2020, and Gregg Dahleen of Central Ink, who is NAPIM’s current president.
“As a result, our Printing Ink Pioneer and Ault award winners have not been properly acknowledged. Our intention was to present the 2020 awards at the 2021 convention. When that convention was canceled, we realized that we would need to recognize these colleagues in different way,” they added.
“The 2020 award winners were all really deserving – it’s a shame we haven’t had the opportunity to present it to them in person,” said John Copeland, NAPIM’s executive director. “To a person they have all served the ink industry so well.”
To honor these 10 deserving individuals, NAPIM has put out a handbook recognizing their awards, and is hoping that they will be attending the 2022 convention, which will be held April 8-11, 2022 at the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, St. Petersburg. FL.
The Ault Award honoree is:
Maria Vivy DaCosta – VP Administration and Sales Dirctorate, hubergroup
“In particular, I want to mention Maria Vivy DaCosta, our Ault Award winner – she is very diligent and conscientious and always gives 100 percent,” Copeland said. “She has been a longtime supporter of NAPIM and served as a NAPIM board member, where she always provided great input and suggestions.
“I am so honored,” DaCosta said. “I worked will all of these superhero people in the ink industry and it is so humbling to receive the Ault Award. I am over the moon.”
The Printing Ink Pioneer Award honorees are:
• Chris Allen, Global Key Account Management, Sun Chemical Performance Pigments
• Michael P. Gerkin, President and CEO, Kustom Group
• Bryce Kristo, EVP, CFO and General Affairs, INX International Ink Co.
• William McDermott, Publication Inks, Ingevity
• Joe Mele, Sales Representative for United Mineral and Chemical Corporation
• Harold Osorio, Regional Technical Manager Southeast, Sun Chemical
• Christopher A. Parrilli, President, North American Ink, Sun Chemical
• Corey Soeldner, VP of Procurement North America, Sun Chemical
• Bruce Wolfe, Technical Director, Flint Group
“Our nine Pioneer Award winners also deserve to be recognized for their achievements,” Copeland said. “I really wish to congratulate the winners and I hope we can all get together in 2022.”
