As each Forum approaches, the FTA management team takes pleasure in selecting worthy individuals for its coveted FTA President’s Award. Recipients of this honor are a select group of people who have demonstrated the truest sense of volunteerism during the recent past. The FTA President’s Award is the result of a collaborative selection process that takes into consideration a variety of factors—all focusing on individuals who have demonstrated a strong support of the core values that FTA/FFTA espouses.
The first recipient this year represents a relatively small, yet vibrant, market segment within the FTA membership ranks. Lon Robinson III of Tension Corp. (recently renamed from Tension Envelope Corp. commemorating the company’s 125th anniversary) has been called upon in a number of different capacities to lend his technical and leadership expertise…and he has never let us down!
As a staunch believer and proponent of Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications & Tolerances (FIRST), Lon’s involvement on the 4.0 project included contributions to the book’s content from the envelope industry’s perspective. Speaking on the topic at FFTA’s Fall Conference in 2010 and working to develop a strong, collaborative relationship between FTA and the Envelope Manufacturers Association (EMA), Lon has also been instrumental in securing EMA’s commitment to customizing FFTA’s training curriculum delivered via the TEST Virtual Campus for its membership.
Currently serving on both the FTA Board of Directors and FFTA Board of Trustees, Lon holds the officer position of vice chair project evaluations. Having worked his way through the judging process in the Excellence in Flexography Awards Competition, he also now serves on the Awards Committee. In addition to all this, Lon is simply a really nice guy and good friend to the FTA!
This year’s second President’s Award recipient has become a mainstay within FTA/FFTA’s volunteer network through his activity on a wide variety of programs. Sean Teufler of Harper Graphic Solutions, a division of Harper Corporation of America, is one of those strong, disciplined leaders who brings “efficiency” to every project. As co-chair to this year’s upcoming FFTA Fall Conference— Efficiency in Flexography: Connecting the Dots—the event’s theme represents an ideal reflection of Sean’s philosophy in business. His primary goal in leading this conference is producing a program where “attendees walk away with increased knowledge, skills and tools that improve their profitability, productivity and survival.”
The research activities of FFTA’s Flexo Quality Consortium (FQC) have also attracted Sean’s interests as he has led the very successful “ink spitting” project over the past few years. His article in last month’s issue of FLEXO Magazine summarizes the findings of this informative project providing a wealth of important data on this pervasive flexo phenomenon. With print trials being run at Clemson University, and active involvement from Fox Valley Technical College in addition to Clemson, Sean is right in his element when he’s on campus as a very strong proponent and supporter of flexo education at all levels.
Sean’s educational drive is also evident in his personal commitment to professional development. Dating back to the National Council for Skill Standards in Graphic Communications in 2004, he achieved Certified Flexographic Press Operator status. As of today, he’s successfully completed the FIRST Implementation Specialist Certification program this past year. Way to go Sean…your energy & drive are certainly commendable!
Congratulations to this year’s President’s Award honorees. Here’s hoping we’re writing about you next year!