Auckland company Rapid Labels has won Label of the Year, four gold medals and Apprentice of the Year at the Pride In Print awards held on 29 June.
More than 800 people attended the gala event where Rapid Labels won gold for an array of wine labels for clients including Ngatarawa Wines and Kirkpatrick Estate Winery. They won ‘Best of Category’ for the Colour Pinot Noir 2009 (Embossed) label, designed by Grant Blazey of Periscope Design. This label features a number of special effects including foiling, embossing and varnishing to give it a tactile feel.
Rapid Labels printer, Gareth Hilton, was also named the print industry Apprentice of the Year ahead of four rivals from print companies across New Zealand.
Rapid Labels general manager, Anne-Marie Sutton, says the company is “very proud and excited” of their achievements.
“We had a number of staff with us on the night and it was great to be able to celebrate with them. Rapid Labels is a thriving business and our aim is to consistently produce work to a high standard each and everyday, so it is fantastic to have these efforts recognised.
“We are also extremely proud of Gareth, and all of our staff. As a responsible employer it is a great thing to be able to provide our staff with the opportunity to complete formal training (apprenticeships) and equip them with qualifications and skills for life.”
Apprentice of the Year Gareth Hilton says he feels “extremely proud and honoured” to win this award.
“To win Apprentice of the Year is an amazing personal and professional achievement. It is a fantastic way of recognising the hard work and effort it took, and the best way to repay my managers, colleagues, friends and family who supported and encouraged me the whole way through.”
More than 100 apprentices were in contention for the Apprentice of the Year Award through PrintNZ Training (an Industry Training Organisation). This number was whittled down to five finalists, who attended an interview for the top award.
Each year print companies from around New Zealand enter a variety of print work into the Pride In Print Awards event, with entries then judged by a panel of industry experts. Wine labels are a major source of design innovation as producers aim to get maximum shelf impact.
The Pride In Print judges rated 'The Colour' Pinot Noir 2009 (Embossed) label as being a “very technically-challenging” job.
Senior judge Mark Sullivan said the job was a strong example of self-adhesive label printing.
“A lot of pride has gone into completing this. They have used screen printing, flexo and letterpress along with fine embossing and three varnishes. It epitomises pride in craftsmanship.”
Rapid Labels is a label manufacturer with 73 staff operating from a purpose-designed facility in Albany. They produce labels for several specific markets including wine, food, beverage, thermal and pharmaceutical for clients throughout New Zealand.
For more information:
Contact: Anne-Marie Sutton, Rapid Labels, 09 414 1700
