FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MACtac® Worldwide Awards Program Judges Finalized: Panel of industry experts to choose contest winners in the Americas

MACtac®, a world-leading producer of self-adhesive vinyl films for the sign industry, has finalized its jury in the Americas for the “MACtac Worldwide Awards 2004.” The program singles out impressive projects from all over the world that have been produced by companies in, or related to, the sign industry during 2002/2003.

An independent jury in the Americas will judge entries in four categories: Vehicle Graphics (cars, buses, trucks, trains, planes); Exterior Signs (billboards, buildings, events); Interior Signs (showrooms, tradeshows, shops, museums); and Technical Achievement (3-D shapes, large-scale projects and other demanding applications). These projects must be produced in 2002/2003 using either digital printing or CAS techniques and utilizing MACtac’s marking, digital and screen printing films, including MACmark®, IMAGin®, Thermacolor®, MACscreen® and Permacolor® materials.

Information on the program rules and official entry forms can be viewed and downloaded from the MACtac Awards Program Web site, www.MACtac-awards.com, or obtained from a MACtac distributor. Entries are due by January 31, 2004.

The jury in the Americas is comprised of editors of leading sign industry and digital publications as well as independent experts in the fields of design, digital printing, sign-making and application skills and includes: Blair Adams, editorial director, Signs Canada; Nancy Bottoms, editor & associate publisher, Signs of the Times & Screen Printing en Español; Rob Ivers, director of training, Professional Decal Application Association, and owner, Rob Ivers Inc.; Mike McEnaney, editor-in-chief, Digital Output; Barbara Pellow, Gannett professor and administrative chair, Rochester Institute of Technology; Ebbie Phillips, secretary/treasurer, International Sign Association, and president, CEO and owner, Tyson Sign Systems; Mike Robertson, president, Screenprinting & Graphic Imaging Association; and Wade Swormstedt, publisher/editor, Signs of the Times.

Blair Adams Editorial Director, Signs Canada.

As a journalist, Blair Adams has spent his career covering various industries, including architecture, engineering, turf grass maintenance and pets. However, it has been the sign industry that has captured his interest for the past five years, where he has worked as the editorial director of Signs Canada, a publication of record for the Sign Association of Canada.

Blair attributes his fascination with signs to the dynamic nature of the industry and its diverse applications. His extensive training in desktop publishing also furthers his understanding and curiosity about a trade that relies just as much on creativity as it does on technology. In his free time, Blair and his wife breed and show champion basset hounds. If given the chance, Blair would love to assist in a real-time vinyl application especially if it involves vehicle graphics.

Nancy Bottoms Editor & Associate Publisher, Signs of the Times & Screen Printing en Español.

As the granddaughter of a printer, Nancy Bottoms brings a wealth of printing and industry knowledge to the judge’s panel. She has served as the editor and associate publisher of Signs of the Times & Screen Printing en Español since 1999, and during that time has had the opportunity to evaluate projects and techniques from all over the globe.

Nancy formally studied psychology and conducted research in business, industrial and organizational psychology. Informally she has been a student of printing, interior design and screenprinting, courtesy of various family members. She is most fascinated by the variety of techniques and steps used by signmakers in different countries, even as the digital age continues to advance. “I love the evolution and creativity of signmaking,” Nancy says, “How people use different techniques in different parts of the world.”

Rob Ivers Director of Training, Professional Decal Application Association; Owner, Rob Ivers Inc.

It all started for Rob Ivers when he took a job on the side applying auto trim in 1978. A year later, he took his love of vinyl and turned it into a full-time career by opening Rob Ivers Inc. Since 1979, the company has provided vinyl applications for organizations such as Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods and Lays Potato Chips. To date, he considers his most challenging application as a four-year project with the Phillip Morris Company, where he and his team designed and installed vinyl applications on more than 520 vehicles nationwide as part of the Marlboro Adventure Team promotion.

Heavily involved in the vinyl industry, Rob works as a trainer and consultant for vehicle graphics and serves on the board of directors of the Professional Decal Application Association and as its director of training. A past judge in other graphics contests, he views his position as a “way to give a little bit back to the industry” and as a stimulus for his creative juices. In his free time, Rob enjoys fishing and shooting billiards.

Mike McEnaney Editor-in-Chief, Digital Output.

When Mike McEnaney became editor-in-chief of Digital Output magazine in August 2002, he was finally able to blend his photography background with his fascination of the digital printing market. A former staffer at photography books such as Photo Trade News and Advanced Imaging, Mike always had an interest in signage, but few chances to explore it journalistically. “Large format and digital printing fascinated me,” he says. “I knew it was going to explode, and it has. The speed and quality of the format has just opened up the market.”

Today, he receives the opportunity to profile an interesting application at least once a week, not just every few months. With the MACtac Worldwide Awards 2004, Mike is excited at the chance to view hundreds of diverse applications. “I think it will be fun to witness the creative energy of the applications, and I’m sure we’ll see the cream of the crop,” he says. In his spare time, Mike, a self-proclaimed photography buff, uses a digital camera to capture pictures of his favorite subject, his two-year-old daughter.

Barbara Pellow Gannett Professor and Administrative Chair, Rochester Institute of Technology.

With more than 25 years of industry experience, Barb Pellow is undeniably an asset to Rochester Institute of Technology, where she serves as administrative chair of the School of Print Media. She has worked with such industry giants as IBM, IKON Office Solutions and Xerox, where she supported the transition from analog copiers to digital print-on-demand technology.

Her rich background serves her well in the classroom, where she focuses on the relationship between traditional paper-based media and emerging electronic new media. Outside the college campus, Barb is also a frequent contributor to industry trade publications and can often be found delivering talks at various seminars and conferences.

Ebbie Phillips Secretary/Treasurer, International Sign Association (ISA); President, CEO and Owner, Tyson Sign Systems.

Now enjoying his 32nd year at Tyson Sign Systems, Ebbie Phillips has worked in almost every aspect of the industry. He began as a trainee at the company in 1972 and during his journey to his current position as president, owner and CEO, worked in estimating, engineering, purchasing, scheduling and production, among others.

Ebbie has always been active in industry associations, serving in various leadership roles. In 1991, he was appointed chairman of the National Electric Sign Association (NESA), the predecessor of ISA. Today, Phillips serves as the secretary and treasurer of ISA and in 2005 will again assume the role of association chairman possibly the only person to ever serve as chairman of both NESA and ISA. Honored to serve as a judge for the MACtac Worldwide Awards 2004, he is looking forward to seeing a variety of signage techniques from across the globe.

Mike Robertson President, Screenprinting & Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA.

At SGIA International, Mike Robertson’s career has had a “jack-of-all-trades” type feel to it. During his 20-plus years of service to the association, he has served as executive vice president, Web architect, director of membership marketing and development and has worked in design and production. In each capacity, Mike has culled an in-depth knowledge of screen printing and graphic imaging technologies, which serves him well in his term as SGIA president.

Mike brings both an eye for technology and an appreciation for creative design to the Worldwide Awards judges’ panel. His background in graphic design allowed him to direct the design and production of all print materials distributed by SGIA in the 1980s, while his knowledge of technology enabled him to produce the collateral using the most state-of-the-art machines. The MACtac Worldwide Awards 2004 contest will again provide him with the chance to experience the blending of creative and technology … without the pressure of deadlines.

Wade Swormstedt Publisher/Editor, Signs of the Times.

After a one-year stint as the sole reporter for the eight-page Jasper County News weekly, Wade Swormstedt joined the magazine staff of Screen Printing and never looked back. For the past 19 years, he has been a member of the Signs of the Times editorial staff and frequently donates his time and talents to serve on sign contest judging panels. He has sat on the panel for the ISA annual contest and served as a judging member in the banners category for Industrial Fabrics Association International contests.

The MACtac Worldwide Awards 2004 contest provides Wade with a chance to “see excellent creativity in sign work, plus the chance to evaluate it as a professional and as an ordinary consumer.” While he prefers to stay on the editorial side of the sign industry, he has dabbled in painting, sandblasting glass and angel gilding on the creative side. His free time is consumed by sports: watching his son and daughter play sports and as a participant in softball, golf and bowling leagues.

MACtac, a leading supplier of pressure sensitive adhesive materials, offers solutions for a wide range of industries including printing, graphic design, packaging, digital imaging, photographic, assembly engineering, medical and communications. MACtac is a subsidiary of the Bemis Company, Inc., the largest flexible packaging supplier in North America. Headquartered in Stow, Ohio, MACtac is a global company with manufacturing and distribution facilities in several countries.

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