A select few of the label industry’s leading companies and individuals were recognized At Labelexpo Europe for their outstanding contribution to the sector as the winners of this year’s Label Industry Global Awards were unveiled. Held at the Event Lounge in Brussels before an audience of 550, the awards celebrate and honor those who promote best practice in the label industry.

Helmut Schreiner, executive manager/owner of the Schreiner Group, collected the R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Avery Dennison. A global provider of functional labels, the Schreiner Group, under Helmut Schreiner’s leadership, has become a world-leading innovator by developing new applications in areas including electroluminescent labels, printronics, RFID and anti-counterfeit technologies. The Label Industry Award for Continuous Innovation – sponsored by Label & Narrow Web, Labels & Labeling and NarroWebTech and – was presented to Brazil’s Novelprint. Honoring a long-established supplier or converter which has demonstrated innovation over a period, Novelprint was singled out for its exemplary customer service and long-standing track record in pioneering the science and technology behind label manufacturing.

EskoArtwork triumphed in the Label Industry Award for New Innovation category, which is designed to underline technological advances made in the previous year. Facing stiff competition from Nilpeter and Durst, which were both highly commended by judges, the Belgium-based winner’s HD Flexo version 2 was judged on the degree of its innovation, environmental efficiency and sustainability along with the practical and economic impact on its service delivery.

The European Converter of the Year Award – sponsored by Flint Group Narrow Web – was awarded to Kolibri Labels. The company’s reputation for innovation and excellence in sales and product development has established it as one of the Netherlands’ leading self-adhesive label printers.

Alphasonics UCS won the Green Award for its AS1000 Trojan Parts Washer. The company was judged to be the most environmentally-friendly product at Labelexpo Europe 2011.