Book Printer Gets Belated Recognition ­— Cagle

August 2006

multipage

BITS AND PIECES

BRUCE DERON only wanted to recover some long-lost war medals he’d earned as an Air Force pilot during Vietnam. Thanks to Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Deron will be getting more recognition than he had expected.

Deron, president of Waymart, PA-based SG Printing, had contacted McCain’s office inquiring about a way to replace his medals, which had been misplaced years ago during a move. McCain took a long look at Deron’s military record, verified the original citations and found there were other events where he should have been medaled for his actions, according to Deron’s son, Jason—the vice president of sales at SG Printing.

McCain will now be presenting replacement medals, as well as bestowing new honors upon Deron, at a date to be determined.

RATED SPEED INCREASES: You have to sympathize with the few graphic arts suppliers that have ventured into the world of sponsoring stock car auto racing. With the exception of DuPont and its now-legendary NASCAR driver, Jeff Gordon, companies such as FedEx and Georgia-Pacific have suffered in sponsoring lesser lights.

G-P may have been ahead of the curve thinking-wise: its drivers were so terrible and wrecked so frequently that they always had prolonged television exposure when the tow truck or flat bed carted off what was left of the crumpled car. TV time in advertising equals big bucks.

But a hearty congratulations goes out to the FedEx/Kinko’s No. 11 Chevy, which pulled into victory lane June 11 when rookie driver Denny Hamlin won from the pole at the Pocono 500. Less than a month later, he repeated at Long Pond, PA. Through July 23, Hamlin posted five top-five and nine top-10 finishes, and was in position to qualify for the circuit’s postseason and a shot at the Nextel Cup title.

Take that, UPS!

SPEAKING OF FAST INK: NewPage is sponsoring one of the more unique contests the industry has ever witnessed. Dubbed “Show Us Your Heavy Coverage,” as a tribute to excellence in ink, the contest is seeking creatively (and heavily) tattooed members of the printing and converting industries. A prominent tattoo artist will judge the photograph submissions and select the top body art masterpieces.

Winning entrants will be flown to Las Vegas for a photo shoot and inclusion in the NewPage 2007 Printing Ink calendar. Other prizes include the Richard Petty Driving Experience and a custom Snap-on tool chest.