FLAG (Flexo Label Advantage Group LLC) has concluded its ninth annual meeting in Rochester, NY. Over 100 independent converter Members and Vendor Partners attended the networking and educational event.

According to John McKay, president and founder, “2019 marks our tenth year of business and we’ve grown each year with our Members. This was illustrated by our meeting theme, ‘10 Years Stronger.’ Every year, we’re raising the bar of the Annual Meeting in terms of the quality of our keynote speakers, the tour we take of a member’s facility and the time and attention we spend on round table discussions, networking with Vendor Partners and peer group interactions.”

Held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting, FLAG distributed 11 prestigious awards during the FLAG 2019 Awards Banquet. They were:

FLAG Vendor Partner of the Year Award – 2019: UPM Raflatac
This award is based on exceptional support, communication and commitment to FLAG and its Members by a participating vendor. This year’s recipient was UPM Raflatac.

Carl Grosshart, Territory Sales Manager, Philip Coates, Area Sales Director, and Brinder Gill, Area Sales Director, UPM Raflatac accept “Vendor of the Year Award” from John McKay, President, FLAG.

Brad Brown Strategic Partner Award: Scott DeSoto, National Sales Manager Digital Packaging at Fujifilm Graphic Systems Division.
Brad Brown was a colleague and friend of John McKay who passed away much too young. Brad was instrumental in helping FLAG in the early years, first by believing in the FLAG vision, then becoming one of the first FLAG Vendor Partners as well as introducing John to Dan Bendele, CEO of IPW. Dan and John struck up a friendship, which led to a strong Strategic Partnership between FLAG & IPW.

The Brad Brown Strategic Partner Award is an individual award presented annually to one person who exemplified Commitment, Creativity and Excellence – three character traits of Brad’s in their support of FLAG.

FLAG Gold Member Awards
The long-term success of FLAG is based on engagement, involvement and purchasing at high levels from all members. In 2019, eight member companies received Gold Awards for the highest level of purchasing from FLAG Vendor Partners. They are:

Apogee Industries Inc., West Chester, PA
Graphics Universal Inc., Greencastle PA
Integrated Label Corporation, Rockford IL
International Label & Printing Co, Elk Grove Village, IL
Luminer Converting Group Inc., Red Lion, PA
Niagara Label Co., Inc., Akron, NY
Tech Tag & Label, Hatfield, PA
TLF Graphics, Rochester, NY

Member Tour Host Award – TLF Graphics
At each FLAG Annual Meeting, a member company opens up the doors of their print shop and invites all of the attendees to tour their facility. Members place great value in seeing how a company of their similar size and scope implements processes and sets up their businesses for growth and efficiency. This year, FLAG visited TLF Graphics in Rochester, NY.