His Passion Is Packaging: Al Bowers Is 50th Inductee into FTA Hall of Fame

Al Bowers: Believer & Realist

“’Altruistic’ is his nickname,” according to fellow Hall of Fame Member Mark Mazur of DuPont Packaging Graphics. “Al is one of those people who puts the industry ahead of everything else. He works tirelessly to improve the printed package. He did so from his very start as a printer and he did so—and continues to do so—following his transition to the trade shop. Simply put, he is an all-around nice guy, a great customer, as well as a friend and a fellow puzzle solver who frequently shares New York Times crosswords.”

Mazur explained, “Al saw the need to take technology and push it into the industry. In his mind, the best way to do that is to work with a CPC. He jumped on technology and leveraged Walmart to do the same. Al saw an opportunity to promote standardsAl Bowers FTA Hall of Fame dog throughout the industry and started talking about measurements, controls, predictability, practicality, repeatability, consistency, optimization and fingerprinting. Al drove everything! He basically lived in Bentonville, Ar., for nearly 18 months—traveling down on Mondays and back home on Fridays. Customer expectations are more concrete and consistent as a result of his work.”

Joe McCarthy of Burrows Paper Corp. observed, “Al was always ahead of his time—in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and today. He looks to see what is new. Al’s always pushing the envelope, so to speak, both to see what he can do and to determine just how far we can go with flexo. His commitment is simply stated, ‘Be consistently consistent in print.’ There is no touchy-feely stuff with Al; instead, he relies on science and numbers. He always makes every colleague feel that he or she has a part in what is going on. He listens to one and all and definitely values and appreciates each individual’s input and talent. He’s just an easy to get along with, go-to guy.”

Larry Evans, an adjunct professor at Clemson University, described FTA’s newest Hall of Fame member in a multitude of ways. “He’s a real family guy. Always friendly. Technically savvy. Al always believed in printing by the numbers. He is one of the few people that has both a gravure and flexo background and as a result, he is a package printing expert.”

Elaborating on that observation, Evans added, “Al is a strong prepress guy. He lives by the mantra, ‘Measure. Measure. Measure.’ Al is one of the most highly respected color gurus that I know. He is a believer in getting it right the first time. Obviously, he champions that cause and always stands willing to share his knowledge.”

Al is one of those people who puts the industry ahead of everything else. He works tirelessly to improve the printed package. He did so from his very start as a printer and he did so—and continues to do so—following his transition to the trade shop.

Fellow Hall of Fame Member Mark Mazur of DuPont Packaging Graphics

“When Al discusses technology, specifically printing and flexo, he backs up his opinions or beliefs with data and examples. He speaks to the ‘why.’ His arguments are persuasive. His perceptions are nearly always correct,” Evans said. “As a leader in the field, Al is always a proponent for learning and continuous improvement. Long considered an expert in process color, Al effectively delivers his message. Al’s the guy who tries something to see if and where it fits. He realistically evaluates new technology and is always ready and prepared to do things right.”

Mike Impastato, Flint Group, current chairman of the Foundation of FTA’s Board of Trustees, remarked, “Flexo printing is a relatively small but competitive industry. We see a great many people who are active in promoting their companies and products; but there is a much smaller group whose activities and focus is set on the improvement of the overall process and betterment of the flexo industry itself. Al is just such a person.”

To that, Impastato added, “Al has been a consistent ambassador for the improvement of flexo printing. His steadfast support of standardization and print-by-the-numbers has moved flexo from an art to a science; and allowed flexo to be a process which can successfully compete on cost as well as print quality. When there is a project which needs support or leadership Al can be counted on to provide his expertise and knowledge to help move the industry forward. Al is well deserving his induction into the FTA Hall of Fame.”

Bowers on the Business

  • “The priority: maintain the advantages flexography has established in cost, productivity and versatility over other printing processes. Improve resolution and consistency.”—2001
  • “Small file formats allowing off-site content for onsite platemaking will allow flexographic printing to advance to the next level.”—2002
  • “Color profiling and digital workflow calibration have improved the quality and cost advantage of flexo.”—2003
  • “Optimizing colors, beyond CMYK requires collaboration with ink and roll manufacturers.”—2011
  • “Brand owners now have the opportunity to make packaging designs more eye-catching and save waste in printing them.”—2011