Aurora, IL-based The Label Printers has won two prestigious awards for its efforts in making the company’s operations more environmentally sound and sustainable. The company has won TLMI’s (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute) Environmental Leadership Award and also the State of Illinois’ Governor’s Sustainability Award.

Bill Kane, chief executive of The Label Printers, congratulated the LIFE (Label Initiative For the Environment) team of George Tommasi, Gina Ries, and Dawn Tesch for all of their efforts.  “What started out as a day of dumpster diving [to find and categorize waste] is now a successful program, and a real achievement.”

The Governor’s Sustainability Award is presented to organizations in Illinois that have demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence through outstanding and innovative sustainability practices that will also save money and help the economy. Says Manohar Kulkarni, ISTC (Illinois Sustainable Technology Center) director, “These businesses and organizations have shown that it is possible to create and maintain conditions under which people and the environment can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social and economic requirements of present and future generations.”

Gina Ries, quality assurance supervisor, discusses what these awards mean to the company. She says, “The thing that struck me is that it’s nice to win awards – but it really shows the commitment and teamwork of the employees. And it’s also nice to have something like this to offer to our customers.”

Dawn Tesch, purchasing expediter, adds, “The Sustainability Team couldn’t have achieved these prestigious awards without the help and dedication from each and every employee.” Tesch also feels that the company was mindful of the fact that it is important to continually make improvements in the sustainability program.

Lori Campbell, chief of operations, also takes great pride in these accomplishments, but points out, “Even though these are company awards, I’m very proud of the LIFE team specifically, because they’ve taken something from ground zero and made an impact within the first year.” 
Campbell believes that winning both awards has set The Label Printers apart in a very positive way. “Lots of companies talk about being sustainable and environmentally friendly – but these awards help us demonstrate that our people walk the talk. And that’s of value to many of our customers.”