Saint Paul, MN -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/02/2007 --The National Association of Printing Leadership (NAPL), the trade association for excellence in graphic communications management, has selected Western Graphics to receive its 2006 Management Plus Silver Award, which recognizes management excellence in all phases of operation. NAPL selected 16 graphic communications companies to receive this year’s Management Plus Awards.

“Succeeding in today’s hyper-competitive marketplace requires nothing less than management excellence and these companies have shown that they excel in all operational areas,” said Joseph P. Truncale, NAPL president and chief executive offi cer. “I and everyone at NAPL extend our sincere congratulations to all the 2006 Management Plus honorees.” The awards will be presented at a special banquet in March during NAPL’s 2007 Top Management Conference in Santa Barbera, California. Management Plus entrants are judged on how they perform against industry standards in nine key areas: internal control systems; fi nancial performance; marketing/sales plan; business planning; human resources; environmental/safety concerns; quality control; community/industry affairs; and vendor relations. Participants compete in one of six categories: fi ve based on size and one for in-plant printers.

“Being selected as one of the industry’s best managed graphic arts companies is a tremendous honor, ”says Tim Keran, company president, “and our entire team deservedly shares in the credit.”

All Management Plus award winners become members of the NAPL Management Society, a peer group dedicated to improving and promoting the graphic arts. The Society offers valuable opportunities for networking with executives of leading companies in the industry.

Western Graphics employs 84 people and is the leading digital printing company in the Twin Cities producing more than 6 million digital pages per month. The company also offers traditional prepress, offset printing, and bindery services. Value added service offerings include: online ordering, database management, mailing services, variable data printing, fulfillment, warehousing and distribution services.

For more information about Western Graphics, contact Jon Leinen at 651-603-6400.