The Label Printers is pleased to once again sponsor a FIRST robotics team which has been organized by Geneva High School, Geneva, Illinois. The “ROBOVIKES” have begun their fourth season of competition.

Aurora, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/24/2012 -- On January 7, 2012 the 21st season of the FIRST robotics program was unveiled to an audience of 800 people in New Hampshire, and an estimated 60,000 people around the world who joined the Kickoff via live NASA-TV broadcast and webcast. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, will.i.am, frontman of The Black Eyed Peas, and a host of other celebrities who participated via video launched the 21st FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) season with the Kickoff of a new robotics game called "Rebound RumbleSM."

Since then, 2,300 teams from 49 states and 12 countries have been feverishly working on their robots. The FIRST program is designed so that the kids have only 6 weeks to build their robot from a kit of parts (and a Microsoft Kinect), with no instructions – one of the many life lessons that are part of this "competition of the mind" – and that 6 week time frame is a significant commitment of time and effort that is clearly understood by everyone. Geneva High School's Robovikes team (whose logo is a cross between the school's "Vikings" mascot and Robocop as he must look on the weekends when he's working in the shop in his basement) meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school for about four hours, and then for about six hours on Saturdays. And usually even more time as the competition nears.

Walking into their team meeting is like stepping into any team meeting of teenagers – they're working, chatting, teasing, and laughing. There are robot "guts" all over the floor (from last year's robot) and the energy, while not frantic, is palpable. They're excited about what they're building, maybe a little anxious about the upcoming competitions, but also looking forward to something that they understand, in their fourth year as a team, will be a blast. The team's results have gotten better each successive year since their program began in 2009.

In addition to Mary Keyzer, a teacher at Geneva High School and the Robovikes coach, the team has two principal adult mentors who have volunteered countless hours working with the team – Kevin Keyzer, a ceramics engineer and Mary's husband, and Joe Kane, who is the Prepress Department Manager at The Label Printers. Kevin's brother is the teacher/mentor for the FIRST team at Lake Zurich High School and Kevin has long thought that the program is outstanding. Joe is a graduate of Geneva High School, who has a long term interest in robots, having built robots for both middle school and high school science projects. On this Saturday, at the team meeting being held in one of The Label Printers' plants, there are three generations of Keyzers. In addition to Mary and Kevin, their daughters are playing a free-form game of basketball/roller derby and Kevin's dad, John, is helping the team build the Rebound Rumble backboard. Also pitching in is team dad Steve Hensley, an electrical engineer with Sargent & Lundy in Chicago. 4th year Robovikes veteran Keane Hensley says, "the whole program is a lot of fun [but] we also learn skills from it." Steve Hensley, a 4th year veteran parent and 2nd year veteran mentor, thinks that FIRST is exciting and fun, and "a really good program. And the [Midwest Regional] competition is just great. It's a whole lot of real excited kids that make some basketball games seem tame."

Anna Green, the only rookie and the only girl on the team got involved because she's interested in becoming a chemical engineer or a particle physicist. "I thought it would be interesting – I'm still iffy about a career, and I think [FIRST] will give me a way to figure out more about what I want to do."

Mike Miltner is working a laptop computer and a cell phone – pretty much simultaneously. He's using the computer to try to find a carpet source for the game field (preferably someone who'll donate it), and he's on the phone with his Dad, Dennis Miltner, about finding a source for a certain piece of hardware. This is Mike's 2nd year with the Robovikes and for him, "it's still fun. I do everything but programming – design, assembly, finding suppliers…everything."

When asked what part of the robot they're working on, or want to work on, most of the Robovikes reply that they just do what's needed – build the backboard, research suppliers, dismantle last year's robot to build a prototype "Beta 'Bot" – pretty much everything. A couple of the kids want, above all else, to be selected to be on the drive team. A couple of other kids, above all else, want nothing to do with that high profile job. Asked who on the team has basketball skills, Jack Wilbur replies, "the robot has to have the basketball skills – well, the robot's code."

ROBOVIKE Team Members:
Seniors: Trevor Deem, Keane Hensley, Josh Kilmer, Jake Urben, Jack Wilbur
Juniors: Derik Baer, Mitchell Baer, Will Camacho, Matt Fee, Mike Miltner, Justin Mui
Sophomores: Anna Green, Grif McDonell, Will Morrison, Mike Phillips, Quade Spellman, Ken Wendt,

About The Label Printers
The Label Printers, Aurora, IL, started in business in 1967, manufacturing simple label constructions in a 1,000 square foot space, with 1 employee, serving the local Chicago market.

Today, the company has evolved into one of the 100 largest converters in the United States. The Label Printers owns and operates two facilities in Aurora, Illinois, manufacturing and distributing labels and packaging products to thousands of customers in 25 countries around the world. The company's packaging products are certified to ISO 9001 standards, and their quality is backed up by their 99.6% Quality Acceptance Rating.

The Label Printers is a member of NASPO (North American Security Products Organization), IACC (International Anticounterfeiting Coalitipm), CACP (Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy), TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute) and the FTA (Flexographic Technical Association).

About Geneva High School (Community Unit School District 304)
Geneva Community High School is over 130 years old and has over 1,800 students, 150 faculty members, and offers more than 150 courses in eleven academic areas. Students may also enroll in one of thirty-seven academic courses in the Fox Valley Career Center curriculum.

Advanced placement and honors courses are offered in all academic areas supported by the expansion of our Acceleration and Enrichment program.

While maintaining an outstanding tradition of excellence in education, athletic and extracurricular programs, our school provides a wide variety of community service learning experiences throughout Geneva and the Fox Valley. Our experienced administrative team and dedicated staff, along with the support of the community of Geneva, offer one of the finest educational opportunities available throughout the state of Illinois.

About the "Rebound Rumble" Game
The Rebound RumbleSM robotics game is played between two Alliances of three teams each. Each Alliance competes by trying to score as many of the basketballs in the hoops as possible during the 2-minute and 15-second match. Balls scored in higher hoops score Alliances more points.

Alliances are awarded bonus points if they are balanced on bridges at the end of the match. In matches where opponent Alliances work together to balance on the white bridge, all participating teams earn additional valuable seeding points.

Each team receives a Kit of Parts made up of motors, batteries, a control system, a PC, and a mix of automation components – but no instructions. Working with adult Mentors, students have six weeks to design, build, program, and test their robots to meet the season's engineering challenge. Once these young inventors create a robot, their teams participate in competitions that measure the effectiveness of each robot, the power of collaboration, and the determination of students.

About the FIRST Robotics Competition
The FIRST Robotics Competition is an annual competition that helps students discover the excitement of science, engineering, and technology and the rewards a career in STEM can bring. In 1992, the FIRST Robotics Competition began with 28 teams and a single 14-by-14-foot playing field in a New Hampshire high school gym. This season more than 2,300 teams, comprised of over 58,000 high school students (grades 9 – 12), will participate. Fifty-two regional events, 1 State Championship, 1 Regional Championship, and 14 District Competitions will lead up to the 2012 FIRST Championship in St. Louis' Edward Jones Dome, April 25 – 28.

FIRST programs are spearheaded by more than 100,000 dedicated volunteers worldwide, most of them professional engineers and scientists who mentor the next generation of innovators. The program is supported by a network of more than 3,500 Sponsors, including corporations, educational and professional institutions, and individuals.

Participating students are eligible to apply for nearly $12 million in scholarships offered by leading universities, colleges, and companies.

"The Varsity Sport for the Mind," FRC combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 25 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team "brand," hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. It's as close to "real-world engineering" as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team.

Students get to:
Learn from professional engineers
Build and compete with a robot of their own design
Learn and use sophisticated software and hardware
Compete and cooperate in alliances and tournaments
Earn a place in the World Championship
Qualify for nearly $14.8 million in college scholarships

About FIRST
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST ® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering.

With support from three out of every five Fortune 500 companies and nearly $15 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC® ) and FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®) for high-school students, FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) for 9 to 14-year-olds, (9 to 16-year-olds outside the U.S. and Canada) and Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL®) for 6 to 9-year-olds.

2011 marked the 20th season of the FIRST Robotics Competition. FIRST has grown from 1 event to nearly 60 and from 28 teams to over 2000. Much has changed over the first twenty seasons…but our key goals remain the same; our commitment to Gracious Professionalism™, our emphasis on learning, helping one another and inspiring careers in math, science, engineering and technology.

Gracious Professionalism™ is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to http://www.usfirst.org.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The Label Printers was a Platinum Sponsor for the 2011 International Law Enforcement IP Crime Conference – held in Madrid and co-hosted by INTERPOL, EUROPOL, and Cuerpo Nacional de Policía, in partnership with UL. The Conference theme was “Transforming Regional Success into Global Action”.

Aurora, IL-- (SBWIRE) -- 10/31/2011 -- The Label Printers' Chief Executive, Bill Kane, and Chief of Operations, Lori Campbell recently returned from Madrid, Spain where they attended the 2011 International Law Enforcement Intellectual Property (IP) Crime Conference – held in Madrid and co-hosted by INTERPOL, EUROPOL, and Cuerpo Nacional de Policia in partnership with Underwriters Laboratories. The Label Printers was a Platinum Sponsor of the Conference, which brought together hundreds of attendees from around the world, representing the law enforcement community, IP and brand owners, anti-counterfeiting solution suppliers, and others interested in combating the global menace of counterfeiting and piracy.

UL's web site explains the basis for the conference. "Building on the success of the past four conferences, the 2011 conference will continue to feature plenary sessions, operational workshops and an operational round table. The operational workshops will cover a wide range of practical topics from:

• Partnership to sharing collective expertise

• IP crime training to capacity building

• integrated analysis, integration prosecution strategies to managing global operations

• counterfeit medicines, illicit internet activities to e-commerce

• investigating illicit trade to protecting trade secrets.

The purpose of the operational round table is to share findings and review the conclusions of the operational workshops from the previous day. The outcome of each round table will include recommendations about what works on a regional/global scale and a rating in terms of feasibility and priority. This will be reported to all delegates and debated in the round table feedback session at the conclusion of the conference."

Mr. Kane explained that the Conference's principal message was the vital importance of information sharing and cooperation between all of those involved in the fight to combat counterfeiting. But, he said, "Saying is not doing. Everyone involved in this conference understands that, and is trying to make that cooperation a reality. And, when you consider the organizations and individuals who attend this conference, the information sharing that occurs at that level is invaluable. It's so interesting to hear speakers such as the Inspector General of Police from Tanzania, Said Mwema, talking about how important it is to open up borders and having avenues of international communication in a country like Tanzania, which has over 40,000,000 people with only 38,000 police officers."

Mr. Kane and Ms. Campbell both agreed that this conference, now in its' fifth year is unique in its focus and deliverables. Said Kane,

"We have developed contacts with so many people involved in the fight against anti-counterfeiting. And it's not just the contacts – this conference has given us the opportunity to get to know attendees at a level that allows us to become resources for each other." Campbell adds, "As a layman, my impression is that the actions that come out of this conference are a result of knowing who to contact…getting to understand who the "go to" people are, and how to work through the bureaucracy."

"Listening to people on the front lines who use and inspect our products – hearing about their day to day concerns and challenges is one of the biggest pluses for our company's participation in this conference. It helps us to look at all of the anti-counterfeiting options in the marketplace and convert them into the finished products and systems that our customers need." said Ms. Campbell.

"It's also important for our employees to understand the complexity of counterfeiting and IP theft, the increasing sophistication of IP criminals, and the global efforts to find deterrents and, when necessary, to determine whether to pursue criminal or financial penalties. But I would say that the conference's greatest value to me and to The Label Printers, is its focus on how critical it is to understand the entire supply chain – we can't just attack the problem in one place in the chain – the solutions need to cover the chain from beginning to end."

About THE LABEL PRINTERS
The Label Printers, Aurora, IL, started in business in 1967, manufacturing simple label constructions in a 1,000 square foot space, with 1 employee, serving the local Chicago market.

Today, the company has evolved into one of the 100 largest converters in the United States. The Label Printers owns and operates two facilities in Aurora, Illinois, manufacturing and distributing labels and packaging products to thousands of customers in 25 countries around the world. The company's packaging products are certified to ISO 9001 standards, and their quality is backed up by their 99.6% Quality Acceptance Rating.

About Underwriters Laboratories
Underwriters Laboratories® is an independent product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing standards for safety for more than a century. UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems annually with 20 billion UL Marks appearing on 72,000 manufacturers' products each year. UL's worldwide family of companies and network of service providers includes 64 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 98 countries.

About INTERPOL
INTERPOL is the world's largest international police organization, with 188 member countries. Created in 1923, it facilitates cross-border police co-operation, and supports and assists all organizations, authorities and services whose mission is to prevent or combat international crime.

INTERPOL aims to facilitate international police co-operation even where diplomatic relations do not exist between particular countries. Action is taken within the limits of existing laws in different countries and in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. INTERPOL's constitution prohibits 'any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character.'

About EUROPOL
Europol is the law enforcement agency of the European Union. Our aim is to help achieve a safer Europe by supporting the law enforcement agencies of European Union member states in their fight against international serious crime and terrorism.

More than 700 staff at Europol headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands work closely with law enforcement agencies in the 27 European Union member states and in other non-EU partner states such as Australia, Canada, the USA and Norway.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The FIRST robotics team from Geneva High School [IL], the ROBOVIKES, sponsored by The Label Printers [Aurora, IL] made it into the Midwest Regional Tournaments’ equivalent of the Final Four – but their Alliance with perennial powerhouse, the Bomb Squad from Mt. Home [AK] H. S. and the Broncobots from Lee’s Summit North H.S. [MO], fell short of the Championship round, and they finished 3rd in the competition.

Aurora, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/18/2011 -- Inventor Dean Kamen and will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas launched the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) 20th anniversary season in January with the Kickoff of the new "LOGO MOTION" game. Teams participating in the FIRST program, like Geneva High School's ROBOVIKES, then had a frantic six weeks to build a robot from a kit of parts, made up of motors, batteries, a control system, a PC and a mix of automation components – but no instructions. Working with Mentors, students have those six weeks to design, build, program and test their robots to meet the season's engineering challenge. The payoff for the ROBOVIKES' hard work and ingenuity was the Midwest Regional Competition at the UIC Pavilion on March 24, 25, and 26. As they did last year, the ROBOVIKES made it into the competition's equivalent of the Final Four – but their Alliance with perennial powerhouse, the Bomb Squad from Mt. Home [AK] H. S. and the Broncobots from Lee's Summit North H.S. [MO], fell short of the Championship round, and they finished 3rd in the competition.

If you walked into the UIC Pavilion's basketball court during the competition, you saw a scene that was part athletic field, part robot "pit", and part trade show exhibit – and all excitement – the 2011 FIRST Robotics Midwest Regional Tournament. Competing in the tournament were over 50 teams and hundreds of kids from all over the Midwest, Texas, New Jersey, and long-distance-travel-winner Turkey. The Pavilion was filled with cheering students, parents, teachers, life-sized mascots, and sponsors for two days of elimination matches and Saturday afternoon's Big Show – the "Elite Eight". Although the way FIRST structures their competition the Top Eight in the seeding matches become the Top Twenty-Four, as each of the teams who placed in the top 8 after the qualifying rounds choose 2 other teams to create their 3-team "Alliance". The FIRST program is every bit as much about "life skills" as it is about winning competitions. Those life skills include competing (including "points for just showing up"), helping others to compete, Gracious Professionalism (A FIRST Credo), forming alliances, developing strategies, and doing it all in real-time.

Geneva High School's ROBOVIKES team (sponsored by The Label Printers/Burgess Norton/Wm. Wright & Associates, Inc./SRT-Nypro), after a day and a half of intense competition were chosen as an Alliance partner by the "Elite Eight" team, the Bomb Squad (sponsored by jcpenney/Baxter Healthcare Corp/The Science and Technology Group), and the Broncobots (sponsored by Honeywell/ METCRAFT Industries, Inc./R & D Tool and Engineering/Kansas City Power & Light/Black and Veatch/Cerner Corporation/Kastle Grinding/High Tech Laser & Engraving/Show Me Controls/Weld Tech/Westlake Ace Hardware/Lee's Summit H-Vee/DAYCO/Jon Schimpf, PDCLLC).

During the competition, most of the team worked on "scouting reports" – with the help of a "Team Evaluation Form". And both students and mentors kept running back and forth between the "pit" and the stands. The competition is structured so that only three ROBOVIKES actually take the floor when their robots are competing, so each team stakes out some "home turf" in the stands. Sam Kintop, a GHS graduate, enrolled in Waubonsee Community College, and a robot "driver" on the ROBOVIKES rookie team has been a mentor the last two years, and was in the Pavilion for the competition – and working almost as hard as the team.

Geneva High School teacher Mary Keyzer, her husband Kevin [a ceramics engineer], and The Label Printers mentor Joe Kane, were very pleased that the ROBOVIKES bot was largely designed and built by the team. A number of robots in the competition had a bit more of the look of professional involvement. (Unlike school science projects and Soap Box Derby entrants, FIRST does not discourage sponsor's engineers/mentors from active involvement in robot building.) In the 2009 Midwest Regional, the Robovikes made it to the "Elite Eight" round, but were eliminated in the first round. In 2010, the team advanced to the semi-finals, finishing 4th overall.

Said Joe Kane, "We keep getting better every year. Just wait until next year." A sentiment any Chicago Cubs fan can appreciate.

ROBOVIKE Team Members:
Juniors: Trevor Deem, Keane Hensley, Josh Kilmer, Jake Urban, Jack Wilbur
Sophomores: Derik Baer, Mitchell Baer, Will Camacho, Matt Fee, Michael Miltner, Justin Mui
Freshmen: Grif McDonell, Will Morrison, Mike Phillips, Quade Spellman, Ken Wendt

About Label Printers, Aurora
The Label Printers, Aurora, IL, started in business in 1967, manufacturing simple label constructions in a 1,000 square foot space, with 1 employee, serving the local Chicago market.

Today, the company has evolved into one of the 100 largest converters in the United States. The Label Printers owns and operates two facilities in Aurora, Illinois, manufacturing and distributing labels and packaging products to thousands of customers in 25 countries around the world. The company's packaging products are certified to ISO 9001 standards, and their quality is backed up by their 99.6% Quality Acceptance Rating.

The Label Printers is a member of NASPO (North American Security Products Organization, http://www.naspo.info), IACC (International Anticounterfeiting Coalition, www.iacc.org), CACP (Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy, http://www.theglobalipcenter.com/index.php/cacp), TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute, http://www.tlmi.com) and the FTA (Flexographic Technical Association, http://www.flexography.org).

About Geneva High School (Community Unit School District 304)
Geneva Community High School is over 130 years old and has over 1,800 students, 150 faculty members, and offers more than 150 courses in eleven academic areas. Students may also enroll in one of thirty-seven academic courses in the Fox Valley Career Center curriculum. Advanced placement and honors courses are offered in all academic areas supported by the expansion of our Acceleration and Enrichment program.

While maintaining an outstanding tradition of excellence in education, athletic and extracurricular programs, our school provides a wide variety of community service learning experiences throughout Geneva and the Fox Valley. Our experienced administrative team and dedicated staff, along with the support of the community of Geneva, offer one of the finest educational opportunities available throughout the state of Illinois.

About the "Logo Motion" Game:
In the FRC "LOGO MOTION" robotics game, two alliances of three teams will compete on a 27-by-54-foot field with poles, attempting to earn points by hanging as many triangle, circle and square logo pieces as possible. Bonus points will be earned for each robot that can hang and assemble logo pieces to form the FIRST logo. Robots can also deploy Mini-Bots to climb vertical poles for a chance to earn additional points.

About the FIRST Robotics Competition
The FIRST Robotics Competition is an annual competition that helps students discover the excitement of science, engineering, and technology and the rewards a career in STEM can bring. More than 45,000 high-school students on over 1,800 teams from the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Herzegovina, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the U.K. will participate in this year's competition.

In 1992, the FIRST Robotics Competition began with 28 teams and a single 14-by-14-foot playing field in a New Hampshire high school gym. This season more than 1,800 teams – including 278 rookie teams – will participate. Forty-three regional competitions in the U.S., Canada, and Israel, plus seven district competitions and one state championship in Michigan, will lead up to the 2010 FIRST Championship at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, April 15-17.

FIRST programs are spearheaded by more than 90,000 dedicated volunteers worldwide, most of them professional engineers and scientists who mentor the next generation of innovators.

Participating students are eligible to apply for nearly $15 million in scholarships offered by leading universities, colleges, and companies.

About FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from three out of every five Fortune 500 companies and nearly $12 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) and FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®) for high-school students, FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) for 9 to 14-year-olds, (9 to 16-year-olds outside the U.S. and Canada) and Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL) for 6 to 9-year-olds. Gracious Professionalism™ is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to http://www.usfirst.org.

FIRST 2011 CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT –
APRIL 27 – 30 – Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO

EDUCATE TO INNOVATE –
A campaign announced by President Obama to improve the participation and performance of America's students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/educate-innovate

http://www.nationalroboticsweek.org/

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The Label Printers has won TLMI’s prestigious Singer Award for Best Managed Company – Medium Category – for the 2nd time in a row, in their 2nd year of eligibility.

Aurora, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/05/2011 -- The thrill isn't gone. Lori Campbell, Chief of Operations at The Label Printers, was pleased to announce to company employees that they had won TLMI's prestigious Singer Award for Best Managed Company – again. Campbell said, "I was excited when I was told that we had won again – it was confirmation that last year wasn't a fluke, and an affirmation that our efforts are paying off. An award like this gives visibility to our efforts to constantly make improvements. They're not "gigantic", home-run type improvements – they're small and incremental – and like the idea behind Six Sigma and compound interest – the cumulative effect is significant."

Bill Kane, The Label Printers Chief Executive said, "Winning the Eugene Singer Award for the second year in a row is a testament to all of The Label Printers' employees – every one of them – and their commitment to financial stability, customer satisfaction, and the achievement of our short term and long term goals."

So what's different about winning this prestigious award for a second time? Certainly not the company's excitement about the award. But perhaps, like a company focused on continuous improvement, this year The Label Printers wants to do a better job of acknowledging how many people contribute to the achievement. Says Campbell, "Getting our employees to understand their part in this award is the key – they need to understand that even though it's called the Eugene Singer Award for Best Managed Companies, it's not just a management award." She echoes Kane's remarks, "It's an award that comes from the efforts of, and belongs to, every single employee of the company." And, like all excellent companies, first class performance is a team effort beyond simply the "players".

The Label Printers wants to acknowledge the involvement of their customers and suppliers in this award – suppliers who help in many ways, and customers who understand the value beyond the price.

TLMI calls "the prestigious Eugene Singer Award for Management Excellence…one of the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute's (TLMI) highest honors…this award recognizes excellence in business management, measured and defined by an established set of ratios through the participation in the TLMI Management Ratio Study. The Singer Award is given annually to four narrow web converting companies; each company within a certain sales range category [which are]: Small company – annual sales of less than $6 million, Mid-range company – annual sales of $6 to $14 million, Medium company – annual sales of $15 to $35 million, and Large company – annual sales greater than $35 million." The Label Printers won in the Medium category.

The Singer Award is a coveted honor both because it validates the performance of strong companies, but also because the companies submitting applications for it represent nearly 40% of the North American label market, and include the biggest competitors in the business.

Campbell searches for words to describe what the award means to her and The Label Printers, "It helps put things in perspective. And we're never satisfied."

The Label Printers is a leading custom label and packaging manufacturer, serving a widely diverse customer base around the globe – ranging from Fortune 100 to start-up businesses. The company serves industries as varied as wine, pharmaceutical, and electrical.

The Label Printers takes special pride in their quality, which is backed up by their ISO 9001 Registration (with an acceptance rating which has stayed at a consistent and nearly perfect 99.6% since 1989).

About The Label Printers
The Label Printers, Aurora, IL, started in business in 1967, manufacturing simple label constructions in a 1,000 square foot space, with 1 employee, serving the local Chicago market.

Today, the company has evolved into one of the 100 largest converters in the United States. The Label Printers owns and operates two facilities in Aurora, Illinois, manufacturing and distributing labels and packaging products to thousands of customers in 25 countries around the world. The company's packaging products are certified to ISO 9001 standards, and their quality is backed up by their 99.6% Quality Acceptance Rating.

The Label Printers is a member of NASPO (North American Security Products Organization), CACP (Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy), TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute) and the FTA (Flexographic Technical Association).

About the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute, Inc.
TLMI, located in Gloucester, Massachusetts, is a member-driven association strongly committed to providing business solutions that enhance the prosperity of its members and the narrow web tag, label, and packaging industries. The organization's vision is to be the premier member-driven association for the label and packaging industry.

In addition to the L.I.F.E. program, TLMI offers their members a wide range of reports that focus on key industry indices, real-time economic analysis, and benchmarking metrics – these include a Financial Benchmarking/Ratio Analysis, Compensation Analysis, and Quarterly Trends.

TLMI has grown from an original group of 19 founding members to hundreds of supplier and converter members. The organization celebrated their Diamond Anniversary in 2008.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The Label Printers has received the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute Inc.’s (TLMI) Label Initiative For the Environment (L.I.F.E.) Certification. The company successfully completed the program’s desk and site audits, establishing their baseline and metrics to achieve the goal to reduce solid waste sent to landfills by 60% or more in 2011.

Aurora, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/25/2011 -- The Label Printers is pleased to announce that the company has become a Certified Member of TLMI's L.I.F.E. program, and congratulates the company's employees, especially those on the L.I.F.E. team - George Tommasi, Gina Ries, Matt Slaughter, and Dawn Tesch. Tommasi, Director of Human Resources, The Label Printer's Illinois EPA Compliance Representative, and the L.I.F.E. team leader and senior executive on the team pointed out, "L.I.F.E. is based on the ISO 14001 standard and includes many of the same elements (continuous improvement, management review, preventive maintenance, corrective and preventive action, etc.). As a company registered to ISO 9001 Standards, we believe that our L.I.F.E. Certification will fit right in with all the things we do in all of our best practice initiatives."

The team analyzed and sorted their solid waste into 3 categories: recyclable, waste to energy (fuel pellets), and unrecyclable solid waste (landfill). They wrote a Sustainability Manual and Policy (the Policy can be found on the company's web site – http://thelabelprinters.com/Sustainability/policy.php - along with the Sustainability Dashboard) and submitted them, along with their certification materials (scorecard, process map, Environmental Risk Assessment, etc.), to T.L.M.I./NSF for evaluation by the L.I.F.E. team. That team conducted a Desk Audit, and on February 25th, NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company™, who provide third-party conformity assessment services for these audits, spent a full day at The Label Printers conducting a Site Audit. "Passing" the Site Audit requires 1) the applicant company to have at least 10 items on the scorecard that are rated "engaged" or higher (The Label Printers had 15), and 2) have all of the necessary items required in Management Practices. The company was notified on March 8th that they had achieved Certification.

"We're very proud of the L.I.F.E. team and all of our employees for the work they have done to achieve this certification," says Lori Campbell, The Label Printers' Chief of Operations. "There is a progressively greater benefit to our company to submit to the rigors of a program like L.I.F.E. – both in terms of reducing our environmental impact, and in terms of the increasing prevalence of customer requirements for doing business with companies whose manufacturing and business practices are certified as sustainable."

About The Label Printers
The Label Printers, Aurora, IL, started in business in 1967, manufacturing simple label constructions in a 1,000 square foot space, with 1 employee, serving the local Chicago market.

Today, the company has evolved into one of the 100 largest converters in the United States. The Label Printers owns and operates two facilities in Aurora, Illinois, manufacturing and distributing labels and packaging products to thousands of customers in 25 countries around the world. The company's packaging products are certified to ISO 9001 standards, and their quality is backed up by their 99.6% Quality Acceptance Rating.

The Label Printers is a member of NASPO (North American Security Products Organization), CACP (Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy), TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute) and the FTA (Flexographic Technical Association).

About the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute, Inc.
TLMI, located in Gloucester, Massachusetts, is a member-driven association strongly committed to providing business solutions that enhance the prosperity of its members and the narrow web tag, label, and packaging industries. The organization's vision is to be the premier member-driven association for the label and packaging industry.

TLMI's goal in creating the L.I.F.E. Program was to offer an audited certification process tailored specifically to the narrow web printing and converting industry. Examples of elements that companies address in undergoing the L.I.F.E. certification process include the recycle-compatibility of adhesives; the source and destination of liner materials and how narrow web companies are driving recycling programs for these materials; and material construction light-weighting (adopting thinner constructions that generate less waste). Front office issues are also addressed such as total energy utilization, where that energy is coming from and what a business is doing to actively reduce its overall carbon footprint.

In addition to the L.I.F.E. program, TLMI offers their members a wide range of reports that focus on key industry indices, real-time economic analysis, and benchmarking metrics – these include a Financial Benchmarking/Ratio Analysis, Compensation Analysis, and Quarterly Trends.

TLMI has grown from an original group of 19 founding members to hundreds of supplier and converter members. The organization celebrated their Diamond Anniversary in 2008.

About NSF International
NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company™, is a not-for-profit, non-governmental standards development organization, focusing on food, water, indoor air, and the environment. NSF develops national standards and provides third-party conformity assessment services.

Serving manufacturers in 80 countries, NSF was founded in 1944 and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The NSF Mark is recognized for its value in international trade around the world and is respected by regulatory agencies at the local, state, and federal levels.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The Label Printers kicks off their Solid Waste Reduction project – the company’s next step in achieving TLMI’s Label Initiative For the Environment (L.I.F.E.) “Green” Certification.

Aurora, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/13/2011 -- "Our goal is to reduce solid waste sent to landfills by 60% or more," explains George Tommasi, Director of Human Resources, The Label Printer's Illinois EPA Compliance Representative, and the L.I.F.E. team leader and senior executive on the team. "We wanted our major certification project to be something that had significant impact to the environment and the company. We had been sending the equivalent of over 24 trailers of waste to landfills every year, so we felt that this project definitely met our criteria."

The Label Printers' L.I.F.E. team (Mr. Tommasi, Gina Ries, Matt Slaughter, and Dawn Tesch) have been working since May to choose their project, put their stake in the ground, and establish their goal. The team analyzed and sorted their solid waste into 3 categories: recyclable, waste to energy (fuel pellets), and unrecyclable solid waste (landfill). They have written a Sustainability Manual which they have submitted, along with their certification materials, to T.L.M.I. for evaluation by the L.I.F.E. team, and are preparing for the L.I.F.E. program's Desk Audit – which will occur sometime early in 2011. The last step in the process will be a Site Audit in the spring of 2011. TLMI/L.I.F.E. has partnered with NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company™, for these audits.

"Being 'green' is a no-brainer," says Lori Campbell, The Label Printers' Chief of Operations. "A program like L.I.F.E., done right, means you're reducing waste and therefore cost, improving operations, getting your employees engaged and thinking, and being a good citizen of the planet Earth – all at the same time. We're looking forward to seeing the team's plans come to life."

The Label Printers is a leading custom label and packaging manufacturer, serving a widely diverse customer base around the globe – ranging from Fortune 100 to start-up businesses. The company serves industries as varied as wine, pharmaceutical, and electrical.

The Label Printers takes special pride in their quality, which is backed up by their ISO 9001 Registration (with an acceptance rating which has stayed at a consistent and nearly perfect 99.6% since 1989).

About The Label Printers
The Label Printers, Aurora, IL, is one of the 100 largest converters in the United States. They started in business in 1967, manufacturing simple label constructions in a 1,000 square foot space, with 1 employee, serving the local Chicago market. Now, the company owns and operates two facilities in Aurora, Illinois, manufacturing and distributing labels and packaging products to thousands of customers in over 25 countries around the world. The company is certified to ISO 9001 standards, with a 99.6% Quality Acceptance Rating.

The Label Printers is a member of NASPO (North American Security Products Organization), CACP (Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy), IACC (International Counterfeiting Coalition), TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute) and the FTA (Flexographic Technical Association).

About the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute, Inc.
TLMI, located in Gloucester, Massachusetts, is a member-driven association strongly committed to providing business solutions that enhance the prosperity of its members and the narrow web tag, label, and packaging industries. The organization's vision is to be the premier member-driven association for the label and packaging industry.

In addition to the L.I.F.E. program, TLMI offers their members a wide range of reports that focus on key industry indices, real-time economic analysis, and benchmarking metrics – these include a Financial Benchmarking/Ratio Analysis, Compensation Analysis, and Quarterly Trends.

TLMI has grown from an original group of 19 founding members to hundreds of supplier and converter members. The organization celebrated their Diamond Anniversary in 2008.

About NSF International
NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company™, is a not-for-profit, non-governmental standards development organization, focusing on food, water, indoor air, and the environment. NSF develops national standards and provides third-party conformity assessment services.

Serving manufacturers in 80 countries, NSF was founded in 1944 and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The NSF Mark is recognized for its value in international trade around the world and is respected by regulatory agencies at the local, state, and federal levels.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The Label Printers makes a record contribution to the Fraternal Order of Police’s “Shop With A Cop” Program.

Aurora, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/14/2010 -- The Label Printers is proud to announce their record-high donation to the "Shop With A Cop" program. The company raised enough money to allow about 80 children to participate in the Fraternal Order of Police's (Lodge #14) annual Christmas shopping program. The Label Printers' donation came from a number of activities chosen by the company's employees, including cash contributions, a bake sale (with donated items made by and sold to TLP employees), a silent auction of employee donated items, a raffle, and a company matching donation. Bill Kane, Chief Executive of The Label Printers (who donated two highly prized items to the raffle – "Lunch with Bill" and tickets to a Chicago Bulls game) said about the company match, "We believe in giving our employees the support that they need to make contributions to our community. The Label Printers is pleased to be able to make a donation to such a worthwhile program."

George Tommasi, Director of Human Resources at The Label Printers said, "Last year [The Label Printers' first year with the program] was a learning experience for us in terms of what the program is about and what we could do to raise money. This year we had more items in the Gift Raffle and the Silent Auction, and we added elements such as the evening fundraiser at Baubles by Maclyn. Everyone had more of an idea of how they could contribute. And, once again, the employees really pulled together – through hard work and dedication they exceeded all expectations."

Lori Campbell, Chief of Operations of the company pointed out that The Label Printers is committed to giving employees the space and the support that they need to be good corporate citizens. "Everyone got involved, but some employees really jumped into this cause, donating a lot of their time and energy to organize, bake, clean up and just help wherever help was needed." And all of that time and energy had an unexpected side benefit – the camaraderie of a shared, helping experience.

"Everyone seemed always to recognize the cause behind the auctions and bake sales. If someone was buying a homemade Rice Krispie treat that was priced at 50¢, they paid for the treat with a dollar bill and left the change in the kitty. We got into good-natured "bidding wars" on the Silent Auction – inflating the purchase price of some items way beyond their "retail" value."

This year, The Label Printers reached out beyond the walls of the business and got help from a couple of local retailers – Baubles by Maclyn and Harry and David. Ms. Campbell explained that she had been shopping at Baubles, and speaking with a very friendly and helpful employee who told her about the jewelry store's willingness to host private fundraising parties. This struck a chord, and a new event was added to The Label Printers' fundraising arsenal. On a Wednesday evening, Ms. Campbell hosted a fundraiser at the store, inviting not only employees but friends and family that wouldn't ordinarily be able to contribute to an on-site company program. Baubles' program is to donate 10% of the evening's proceeds to the fundraiser – but they very graciously donated 10% of their entire day's sales. In addition, Harry and David contributed a door prize for the evening's raffle, as well as free truffles and coffee for shoppers.

Ms. Campbell added, "All we have to do is encourage our employees to come up with ideas and give them the incentive to implement those ideas successfully. We're all very proud of the thought and effort that went into this fundraiser – and the level of participation this year was truly a reflection of this season of giving."

The Label Printers is a leading custom label and packaging manufacturer, serving a widely diverse customer base around the globe – ranging from Fortune 100 to start-up businesses. The company serves industries as varied as wine, pharmaceutical, and electrical. The Label Printers takes special pride in their quality, which is backed up by their ISO 9001 Registration (with an acceptance rating which has stayed at a consistent and nearly perfect 99.6% since 1989).

About The Label Printers
The Label Printers, Aurora, IL, is one of the 100 largest converters in the United States. They started in business in 1967, manufacturing simple label constructions in a 1,000 square foot space, with 1 employee, serving the local Chicago market. Now, the company owns and operates two facilities in Aurora, Illinois, manufacturing and distributing labels and packaging products to thousands of customers in over 25 countries around the world. The company is certified to ISO 9001 standards, with a 99.6% Quality Acceptance Rating.

The Label Printers is a member of NASPO (North American Security Products Organization), CACP (Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy), IACC (International Counterfeiting Coalition), TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute) and the FTA (Flexographic Technical Association).

About the Fraternal Order of Police Kane County Sheriff's Police Lodge #14
The FOP Lodge #14 was chartered on April 1, 1966. The Lodge was initially formed as a bargaining agent to improve the wages and working conditions of the officers of the Sheriff's Dept. When the members of the Sheriff's Office formed a union, the Lodge became devoted to fraternal and community activities only. The Lodge began to sponsor Little League baseball teams throughout the county and contributed to other activities that benefited the children. The Lodge also chose the local Easter Seals facilities as its primary charity.

The Lodge also started a program called Shop with a Cop in 1989. Shop with a Cop was designed to take children, whose families needed help, Christmas shopping.

The first year 400 children from throughout the county benefited from the program. The past two years 2000 children were invited to "Shop," and over 20,000 children in Kane County have benefited from this program since its inception. Without the Shop with a Cop program, many children in Kane County would not have had a Christmas.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Michael Agee has been appointed as Director of Brand Protection Programs for The Label Printers as they pursue the expansion of their anti-counterfeiting footprint in the world marketplace, introducing IP and brand owners to the company’s decades-long anti-counterfeiting and manufacturing experience and expertise.

Aurora, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/23/2010 -- The Label Printers is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Agee as the company's Director of Brand Protection Programs. For over a decade The Label Printers, as the source for UL (Underwriters Laboratories) security labels, has been building and expanding their manufacturing and knowledge base in holographic products, tamper-evident products, micro printing, taggants, embedded codes, void adhesives, color shifting inks, and overt, covert, and forensic verification. Mr. Agee's appointment will allow The Label Printers to more effectively reach out to assist vulnerable companies and organizations in protecting their brands and intellectual property, and more aggressively bring the company's anti-counterfeiting and manufacturing experience and expertise to the marketplace. Says Mr. Agee, "The Label Printers has consistently lead the industry in innovation and product quality by being responsive to the precise needs of each customer and their individual labeling programs. I am very pleased to be a part of such a professional and detailed oriented team. This attention to detail and commitment to true customer service will serve our present and future customers very well for years to come. I am very proud to be a part of The Label Printers and their efforts to assist manufacturers and intellectual property holders to combat the dangerously growing problems/dangers of counterfeiting – both economically (estimated at 7% of total world trade or roughly $500 billion US, each year) and for the public's safety."

Mr. Agee brings to the company an anti-counterfeiting and supply chain background both in law enforcement, and in corporations big and small. He has worked for Motorola as a Systems Engineering Program/Project Manager, developing "cradle to grave tracking of supply chain metrics" and as the Global Marketing Manager/Brand Protection& Security Products for Avery Dennison. For The Label Printers, Mr. Agee's focus will be on the problems faced by each individual company or organization. He will be working with those brand and IP owners who are concerned about the impact, not just of counterfeiting, but also diversion, tampering, accumulation, health and safety liability, shareholder lawsuits, trademark infringement, gray market goods, return/warranty/repair limitations, and verification/validation.

Lori Campbell, Chief of Operations for The Label Printers hired Mr. Agee to "help us demonstrate how we can translate what we do and what we know into what will work for our customers and prospective customers as they search for ways to protect their most valuable assets – their brands and IP – from the global menace of counterfeiting and piracy. We take a holistic approach to creating multi-layered anti-counterfeiting solutions, and Mike's diverse background and experience are a perfect match to take us to the marketplace with varied solutions to varied problems."

Mr. Agee has a BA from DePaul University. His task and training resume includes programs such as Six Sigma, Dale Carnegie, and Miller Heiman Sales Performance.

Mr. Agee is an Economic Development Committeeman for the Village of Algonquin, Illinois.

About The Label Printers
The Label Printers, Aurora, IL, started in business in 1967, manufacturing simple label constructions in a 1,000 square foot space, with 1 employee, serving the local Chicago market.

Today, the company has evolved into one of the 100 largest converters in the United States. The Label Printers owns and operates two facilities in Aurora, Illinois, manufacturing and distributing labels and packaging products to thousands of customers in 25 countries around the world. The company's packaging products are certified to ISO 9001 standards, and their quality is backed up by their 99.6% Quality Acceptance Rating.

To contact The Label Printers, call 800.229.9549 or e-mail the company at anti-counterfeiting@TheLabelPrinters.com.

The Label Printers is a member of NASPO (North American Security Products Organization), CACP (Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy), TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute) and the FTA (Flexographic Technical Association).

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm