Ink Industry Mourns George Fuchs

George R. Fuchs passed away on June 6, 2026. He was 72.

George was born on March 20, 1954, in Pittsburgh, PA. He began his career in the late 1970s, when he joined Allied Chemical Corporation in Morristown, NJ, where he headed up the laboratory safety area for Allied Chemical’s R&D labs at the corporate headquarters. He also worked at Pennwalt, ENI America and Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation in a variety of positions in the health, safety and compliance areas.

 
In 1993, George joined the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) as the manager of environmental affairs and information systems, eventually serving as its as director of regulatory affairs. In addition, George was the leader of NAPIM’s annual Technical Conference and its annual Summer Course.

George was deeply respected in the industry, not just for his knowledge and leadership but for his intelligence, integrity and friendship. He received numerous honors in the industry, including NAPIM’s prestigious Printing Ink Pioneer Award in 2019, the Metro New York Printing Ink Association’s 2011 Man of the Year Award, and the William D. Schaeffer Environmental Award.

NAPIM issued the following statement:

“It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our colleague and friend, George Fuchs, NAPIM’s director of regulatory affairs and technology. George was a respected leader within the printing ink industry and a dedicated advocate for NAPIM members. Through his expertise, leadership, and commitment to the industry, he made a lasting impact on our association and the many professionals who had the privilege of working with him.”

“We have known George since 2021, when NAPIM moved to our management company,” added Molly Alton Mullins, NAPIM’s executive director. “George joined our staff and was an incredible contributor to the team, while he continued in his regulatory role with NAPIM.”

Mullins noted that George’s contributions to the industry were innumerable.

“Joining NAPIM in 1993, his technical acumen changed the way NAPIM trained industry professionals through our Technical Conference and Summer Course,” she said. “He fought, and beat, many regulations that would be severely damaging to the printing ink industry. He brought his background as a chemist together with an understanding of regulations that was artfully crafted and incredibly effective.”

Mullins said that George’s good humor and friendliness were unique.

“George always smiled,” Mullins said. “He was always interested and curious. He never shied away from hard work or new ideas. He deeply loved what he did, and the people he did it for, and with. That is an incredibly rare combination.

“For someone who had been with NAPIM and worked in this industry for so long, it was amazing how much George loved changing and growing,” Mullins added. “As an example, just this year, NAPIM decided to launch a new online training program. Instead of lamenting the extra work of a new initiative, George was the most excited about it. He saw it as a chance for more people to get trained in this industry and create the valued products that impact every single person’s daily life – that was how he saw printing ink. This was just how George lived, and how he thought. It was a gift to know him and work with him.”

John Copeland worked with George when Copeland served as NAPIM’s executive director but knew him way before that.

“I first met George in 1993 when he went to work for NAPIM,” Copeland recalled.   I was working for Web Inks Ltd. I was technical director there at the time. George developed the first MSDS system for the NAPIM members and the printing ink industry. He put together the Bio Renewable Program for the safety rating system for printing inks, many technical training sessions, and visited many other trade associations.

“George and I traveled together for NAPIM,” Copeland said. “One thing George had to have when we traveled was his Starbucks coffee, if at all possible. George was very dedicated to his job and our industry.  I would sometimes say to him that his main hobby was his job.”

Bryce Kristo, president and CEO of INX International Ink Co., is presently serving as NAPIM’s president. Kristo said that “George personified what NAPIM is all about.”

“He truly cared passionately about our industry and graciously applied all his knowledge to the betterment of it,” Kristo said. “His depth of knowledge and his network will be difficult to replace. His contributions and voice impacted the greater printing ecosystem. He will be greatly missed.

“I cannot recall the first time I met George because every time you encountered him, it seemed like he was always an old friend,” Kristo added. “He was very humble despite his expertise, and his easy-going approachable demeanor made it easy to ask even the most basic questions. Every time you met George, it felt like you learned something new. You always had a friend by your side when you were with George as NAPIM always had an advocate.”

“George had an infectious enthusiasm related to the ink industry and was such a strong advocate of training the next generation of ink technologists,” said Chad B. Steiner, president, North America – Packaging and Graphics for Sun Chemical, who is currently serving as NAPIM’s vice president. “His passion related to the NAPIM summer course and his drive to always provide an improved ‘Customer Experience’ at these events was quite apparent.  He will be acutely missed as his long history and prominent place in the industry will be difficult to replace.”

“I’m as stunned as all my compatriots in the printing ink industry about losing him so suddenly,” said Lisa Fine of Ink Systems. “I’ve known him since his first days at NAPIM, which, as you and I discussed, reach back 30 years or more if my math is correct.  We get older and start to lose track of what happened when; time compresses somewhat in retrospect.

“One thing I will miss is being able to call him up and vent about regulatory issues,” Fine said. “We’d chat and volley like players in a table tennis match.  The three most common words out of either of our mouths would end up being something like ‘I know, RIGHT???’ as we carped about the seeming lack of common sense in many things regulatory.

“He lauded my expertise, but really, he was the one who was always on top of things.,” Fine added. “His mind was laser-sharp and could switch gears on the fly.  I respected and admired that and tried to keep up.  I held my own, but only because I paid close attention.  I learned so much from him and never had the chance to tell him what it meant to me — but I expect that in some way, he knows that now.”

Russell Schwartz, Sun Chemical’s CTO, said that George was both passionate and pragmatic about the ink business. 

“He had a tremendous understanding of the regulations and the impact they would have.  I worked with him on several regulatory issues, and he always made the process better and provided great insights.  He will certainly be missed.  I was so surprised and sorry when I saw this,” Schwartz added.

“George had become the printing ink industry’s primary advocate when it came to advocating for ink companies due to the increasing pressure from government regulations,” said Mark Hill, INX International Ink Co.’s SVP – director or R&D. “George was one of the easiest people to talk to. He always took the time to speak to you, and even though he was a true ‘geek’ of the science of ink and the regulatory space, he wasn’t shy to speak, talk, and laugh or even tell a joke now and then. He will certainly be missed by all who knew him.”

“I knew George for over 30 years, and we worked together planning and promoting numerous NAPIM Conventions, Tech Conferences and Summer Courses,” said Dale Pritchett, recently retired longtime publisher of Ink World. “He was always focused on what the industry needed to learn and open to new ideas that would help the membership of NAPIM. His passing will leave a void that will be hard to fill.”

“George Fuchs dedicated more than three decades to advancing the printing ink industry through regulatory leadership, environmental stewardship, technical education and collaboration,” said Rebecca Lipscomb, INX International Ink Co.’s VP global regulatory affairs. “Joining NAPIM in 1993, he became one of the industry’s most respected and trusted voices, helping companies navigate complex health, safety and environmental challenges with both technical expertise and practicality. 

“George played an instrumental role in shaping key industry initiatives, including contributions to the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), bio-renewable content programs, technical conferences, regulatory education, printing ink education, and industrywide sustainability discussions, including the transition toward PFAS/PTFE-free solutions,” Lipscomb noted. “His work and leadership earned him prestigious industry recognition, including the Printing Ink Pioneer Award and the Willian D. Schaeffer Environmental Award recognizing his lasting impact on the printing and packaging industries.

“Beyond his professional accomplishments, I will remember George for the person he was,” she added. “He brought knowledge, courage, passion, and a damn good fight to the printing ink industry, while always remaining kind, approachable, and open to new ideas. He had a rare ability to challenge people while still making them feel heard and respected. Whether speaking with industry veterans or those new to the business, George made people feel that their contributions mattered.

“I was fortunate to know George for 14 years. While that may seem like a long time, in hindsight it was nowhere near long enough. I feel lucky to have known him, learned from him, and shared in the many conversations, debates, and ideas that he so freely gave to this industry and the people in it,” Lipscomb said.

“His influence extended far beyond regulations and technical guidance — he helped shape the collaborative spirit of the industry itself,” Lipscomb concluded. “George leaves behind a lasting legacy not only through his work, but through the countless people he mentored, encouraged, and inspired throughout his career.”

Myron Petruch, Sun Chemical’s president and CEO, met George more than four decades ago, when Petruch was a chemical engineering student at NJIT.

“About 45 years ago, my first corporate job was a college internship at Allied Signal HQ in Morristown , NJ,” Petruch recalled. “My boss there was a young George Fuchs in charge of their EHS department.  As my first boss, George was very knowledgeable, pragmatic, passionate, yet always fun with a big smile. It was a great overall personal and professional experience for me, mainly because of George.

“Over the last several decades, I have had the privilege to work with George, primarily via NAPIM and CPMA (Color Pigments Manufacturing Association),” added Petruch. “George has always been a subject matter expert, but he knew how to work across associations, together with government, and advocate for businesses with common sense solutions. I viewed George as a mentor, a friend and true professional. Our industry will miss him tremendously, and I will also miss him personally.”

George is survived by his wife, Jennifer; his daughters, Katherine Fuchs and Kristina Elliott; his son-in-law, Trevor Elliott; and his granddaughters, Aubriana and Emelia Elliott. He is also survived by his siblings, Richard Fuchs, Deborah Cronin, Katherine Hart, and Christina Robinson, and extended family.

A visitation will be held Monday, July 20, 2026 from 11:30 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. at Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes, Southeast followed by the Memorial Service at 1:00 p.m.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of George, please see