Eugene Singer Award for Management Excellence 2010
Kopco Graphics, Inc.

For the third year in a row, Kopco Graphics is one of the best managed companies in the printing industry, according to the industry’s leading trade association.

At the recent Converter Meeting in Palm Beach, Florida TLMI announced the winners of the prestigious Eugene Singer Award for Management Excellence. One of TLMI’s highest honors, this award recognizes excellence inbusiness management measured and defined by an established set of growth and profitability ratios through the participation in the TLMI Management Ratio Study.

The Singer Award is given annually to four narrow web converting companies; each company within a certain sales range category. During the Awards Banquet the final night of the meeting, TLMI Chairman Art Yerecic presented one of the 2010 TLMI Eugene Singer Awards to Kopco Graphics Inc.

Fairfield, OH - based Kopco Graphics, Inc. won for the mid-range company category, defined by sales of $6 - $14 million. This is Kopco’s third TLMI Eugene Singer Award and Kopco’s Chairman, Doug Kopp, stated the following when notified he was once again winning the award. “Winning the Eugene Singer Award for the third year in a row is a result of the entire KOPCO team performing at extraordinary levels. Their dedication to the company’s goals had a great, positive impact on our success. This year was special because each and every person, each and every department and each and every manager did their best each and every day to help the company achieve this recognition. My congratulations to the entire team.”

Eugene Singer Award for Management Excellence 2009
Kopco Graphics, Inc.

FAIRFIELD-For the second year in a row, Kopco Graphics is one of the best managed companies in the printing industry, according to the industry’s leading trade association. 

In March, officials at the annual Tag and Label Manufactures Institute (TLMI) convention in Palm Springs, CA announced Kopco as one of the four winners of the prestigious Eugene Singer Award for Management Excellence for the second time. 

“It makes us a very strong competitor in the market place,” Kopco President and CEO Walt Zeek said of the honor. 

The Eugene Singer Award is based upon the overall financial and operational results of the corporation.  The award is given to companies in four different categories, based on their annual sales.  Fairfield, OH based Kopco Graphics won for the mid-range company category, defined by sales of $6 million to $14 million.  Kopco Graphics also operates a second manufacturing plant in Bradenton, FL. 

“Even though the financials are the measurement, you have to look behind all of that to see what’s driving those operational results” Zeek said.  There have been several new programs implemented since Zeek started with the company in August 2007.  Kopco has implemented lean processes, worked to standardize its production processes and currently tracks multiple key measurements throughout the business.  Kopco has an on time delivery goal of 95%, and has a 12 month rolling average of 97%, which provides both great service and reliability to its customers. 

These goals and results are shared with all employees on a monthly basis, and this has led to a cultural change in how Kopco works and operates.  “The changes are not just at management level”, says Zeek.  “It’s been a grass roots effort throughout the entire company”.  All of Kopco’s employees look for ways to improve the current processes.  The combination of all of these factors are what contributed to the results Kopco has achieved, and led to the second consecutive win of one of the industry’s most prestigious awards. 

Doug Kopp, Kopco Graphic’s Chairman, said the following of the win:  “It was really satisfying hearing from Frank Sablone, President of TLMI, that Kopco Graphics had won TLMI’s most prestigious award for the second year in a row.  Satisfying to know that our business plan is sound.  Satisfying to know that management and the rest of the team executed the plan with great success. 

Winning the Eugene Singer Award is not the result of any one person’s efforts.  As we all know, there must be the mindset of a winning attitude with all employees, a real “can do” approach that touches and inspires every employee in every department to do their very best.  I have been involved in the label industry for 40 years and never have I seen a team come together like ours has.  What a great group of people.  It is this kind of winning effort by the team and recognition by TLMI that makes it a real pleasure to be a part of this industry.”

Eugene Singer Award for Management Excellence 2008
Kopco Graphics, Inc.

The winners of the prestigious Eugene Singer Award for Management Excellence were honored at therecent converter meeting in Naples, FL. One of TLMI's highest honors, this award recognizes excellence in business management measured and defined by an established set of growth andprofitability ratios through the TLMI Management Ratio Study. Award recipients were asked to share some comments for the TLMI Illuminator, and to express what this honor means to them personally, and to their companies.

This year's winner in the Mid-Range category was Fairfield, OH-based Kopco Graphics, Inc. This is Kopco's first time winning the Eugene Singer Award and Chairman, Doug Kopp, had the following to say about being awarded with one of our industry's highest honors. "This is one of TLMI's highest honors and it is just a real thrill to be this year's recipient of the Singer Award. Every year you turn in your Ratio Study and then go to the Spring Meeting and watch other companies win. During a very difficult year for many of us, we were able to overcome various increased operating expenses and compete in a highly competitive marketplace. In spite of it all, we were able to post some pretty good numbers. To say that it was a team effort by all of our 38 employees at both the Cincinnati and Bradenton locations does not do them full justice. From the top to the bottom, they are the best and certainly without their combined dedicated efforts, this award would not have been possible. I wish they could all be here to receive this award. I'm so proud of them. We knew we had a chance to win this year but when Frank Sablone called and said that we had won, it was the icing on a fantastic year for Kopco Graphics. We look forward to being a contender next year".