AICC, The Independent Packaging Association, Board Converting News (BCN), and Corrugated Today (CT) have issued a call for entries in the 2021 Innovator of the Year Competition. This year’s category is Machinery. The Innovator of the Year Competition (IOY), held in conjunction with the AICC/ TAPPI 2021 SuperCorrExpo, August 8-12, at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida, will highlight the best AICC Associate members have to offer.
Developed more than two decades ago as a forum for AICC members to share their best ideas, Innovator of the Year has evolved into a highly competitive arena that showcases solutions AICC Members have developed.
The entries submitted into the Innovator of the Year Competition are first judged by a panel of industry experts on the AICC Plant Innovations Committee, who select the finalists. Finalists are featured at SuperCorrExpo and meeting attendees vote by ballot to name the the Innovator of the Year.
The Machinery category, open to AICC Associate (supplier) Members, focuses on innovations of equipment, products, or services that are directly related to the mechanical converting process. Innovations should benefit the paperboard packaging industry through enhanced efficiency, quality, productivity, and/or safety of converting plants.
The “mechanical converting process” covers all operations that involve direct contact with corrugated, folding carton, or rigid box substrates, i.e., printing, cutting, creasing, scoring, stitching, gluing, material handling, etc.
Entries must be received by Friday, June 4. The entry form can be found online.
Past IOY Competition Machinery Winners include:
2016: Gemini North America/Barberan High-speed, high-quality digital printer
2012: JB Machinery – KleenPlate, plate wash eliminator
2008: HIDE-Pack – Inline R.F.I.D. Embedding System for Flexo Folder-Gluers
2004: Alliance Machine Systems Int’l, LLC – ALF-MAX the Robotic Palletizer System
2001: Curioni USA Inc. – Extend-O-Slot
1998: Pamarco Inc. – Fiberlyte Anilox Roll
1995: Langston Corp. – Rotofold Folding System
Visit www.AICCbox.org/innovator for more info. Questions about the IOY Competition can be directed to Cindy Huber, Director of Conventions & Meetings, at [email protected] or Laura Mihalick, Senior Meeting Manager, [email protected] or (703) 836-2422.
