Take a look at previously posted NAPL history snapshots, providing you with a brief look at major milestones in our association and our industry:
- On March 30, 1970, the industry suffered an irreplaceable loss with the passing of NAPL founder and chief advocate Walter Soderstrom. Soderstrom was 75.
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- In the early 1980s, NAPL's economic efforts were consolidated into the Printing Economic Research Center. Today PERC is known for the annual State of Industry Reports and valuable Performance Indicator measurement tools for determining long-term success. More information on PERC.
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- In 1985, NAPL made history on the PRINT '85 trade show floor printing its publications and services catalog live on the show floor courtesy of Heidelberg. For a listing of the current catalog offerings, go to: The NAPL Store
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- The first Top Management Conference was held in 1975 at Hilton Head on Easter. It became the start of what has become a better scheduled annual retreat for printing innovators and trend leaders to meet and recharge batteries with the latest management concepts.
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- Although long known as an educational resource, NAPL did not run conferences or seminars until the early 1970s. Today, NAPL programs and conferences have become an industry staple for forward thinking leaders. Conferences have evolved from just on-site to meetings to Webinars that bring NAPL meetings right to corporate desktops.
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- In Feb. 2006, NAPL acquired EKG Research Associates and its popular Competitiveness eKG customer perception survey. This insightful tool helps printers strengthen their customer relationships, enhance customer loyalty and improve competitive positioning.
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- February 17, 1934, President Roosevelt signs the NRA Code establishing trade associations as the overseers of the New Deal. The fledgling NAPL is appointed the industry's official body in the national recovery effort.
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- On February 12, 1984, NAPL announced its first Executive Certification Program. ECP paired key printing executives with business academic and consulting experts in a unique program to help printing entrepreneurs achieve the highest caliber of management excellence. By 2000, the program -- renamed Management Institute -- had advanced the leadership skills of more than 800 printing executives. Today, the program is held annually in Washington, DC.
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- A look back at 75 years of service.
On February 2, 1961 Walter Soderstrom officially stepped down as the head of NAPL after starting and leading the organization for 28 years. His tremendous influence on the industry is honored annually when an exceptional printing executive is singled out to receive the Soderstrom Award at GraphExpo. In 1961, the award went to Jack Kronenberg.
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- NAPL's Management Plus program got its start in 1979 as the Best Managed Company Awards Program. The program continues today as a diagnostic and continuous improvement tool as well as an esteemed awards program for companies seeking to improve their management processes.
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- On January 20, 1934 Walter Soderstrom, who initially
served as NAPL's secretary (staff administrator), announced the first trade practices and minimum cost schedules. This provided the basis for costing halftones, 2-sided printing and rush service.
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- In January 2001, a delegation from the Research & Engineering Council met with NAPL to explore strategic alliances between the two organizations. Before the end of the year, the two groups created a formal relationship with all R&E members enrolled in NAPL and the two groups co-sponsoring key initiatives.
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- NAPL's first publication was The Photo-Lithographer magazine written by Walter Soderstrom in 1934. The magazine was later sold to an outside publisher and survived into the 1970's under the title Modern Lithographer. Later in the century, NAPL again entered magazine publishing with Printing Manager, which today has evolved into the bi-monthly NAPL Business Review.
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