Top honors in the 2013 Environmental Excellence Award competition went to 20-year FTA member, Paragon Label. Paragon Label is a family-owned company specializing in printing fine quality pressure-sensitive labels. Located in the wine-country of California, Paragon was launched in 1998 as a division of Mrs. Grossman’s, one of the largest decorative sticker manufacturers in the world. It runs five flexographic presses, a digital press, a one-of-a-kind laser-cutting system and state-of-the-art foil and embossing presses.
Being recognized for outstanding accomplishments is not new to Paragon. The company has won many major awards for printing excellence (including from FTA Excellence in Flexography Awards competitions—two Best of Shows, seven gold medals, eight silver medals and eight bronze medals) and 10 leadership awards for environmental and sustainable practices (including winning the 2011 Environmental Excellence Award).
Paragon Label has a number of programs that save energy, reduce waste, water use and solvent air emissions. The facility has energy-saving compressors, more efficient lighting, low flow water fixtures, in-house waste water treatment, digital plate making equipment, drought tolerant landscaping and a variety of recycling areas. The firm created the “Green Team” and brought in assistance to help find ways to further reduce the environmental footprint.
Paragon’s pride in its program has enabled it to do community outreach that promotes the brand. Paragon holds facility tours four days a week, having had more than 10,000 visitors. Employees explain the company’s dedication to sustainable practices and urge visitors, mostly children, to be good environmental stewards.
“Paragon stood out because of its very positive influence to the community and surrounding area via tours and outreach,” explained Judge Pat Nienhaus, Lauterbach Group.
Paragon’s goal is to influence and inspire employees, customers, visitors and the community to get involved in their own sustainability practices. The company’s philosophy is as much about how people treat each other as it is about how they treat the planet. “Paragon Label went over and above the normal scope of a printer,” summarized Judge Allen Marquardt, Kimberly-Clark.
In response to winning the award, Jason Grossman, president of Paragon Label, stated “To have been presented with the Environmental Excellence Award for 2013 is a great honor for all of us at Paragon Label. It is FTA that really got us involved and committed to being an environmentally friendly operation.”