Paperbox winners honored for industry excellence

Published: May 01, 1996, By Walker, Juliana M.

The National Assn. rewards folding cartons and rigid boxes for unique and outstanding packaging contributions.

Forty rigid box and folding carton manufacturers received 188 awards at the 46th Annual Packaging Competition sponsored by the National Paperbox Assn., Alexandria, VA. Two best-of-show awards were also given to the top rigid box scorer and the top folding carton scorer.

Peter Freund, chairman of the Packaging Competition Committee and secretary/treasurer of the Paul T. Freund Corp., announced the winners during the NPA's 78th annual meeting, held April 24-28 in Tucson, AZ.

More than 400 entries were judged in three categories and 22 end-use classes. "Some of the most unique and outstanding packaging designs in recent years were included" says Freund. He reiterated one judge's comment that in past years you could quickly pick out which packages were obvious winners, while this year the general level of excellence was much higher, making judging more difficult."

This year's judging panel was comprised of David Luttenberger, Package Printing & Converting; Jim McAndrew, Design House; Susan Ng, Hallmark Speciality Design; Leonard Wyss, NPA past chairman; Jim Van Eimeren, California State Univ. Design Dept.; and Mary McAndrew, Design House.

Family of Folding Cartons

The 4-Pack Display Carton from All Packaging Co., Aurora, CO, won the folding carton best-of-show award. These cartons hold in-line skate wheels for Kryptonics of Louisville, CO, who requested a family of unique cartons to function as their own display. The package features a hang tab, window, and platform. There are ten different sets of graphics. Printing was offset lithography using both opaque and transparent inks. Materials are .022 solid unbleached sulfate (printed on the kraft side).

Kryptonics wanted customers to be able to see the graphics on the wheel and the axle hole and to feel the composition of the wheel compound. The package replaces a clam shell blister pack, and, according to Kryptonics, sales have quadrupled since die new design was introduced.

All Packaging reports that it is currently developing cartons with a similar appearance for Kryptonics, accessory/specialty product lines.

Rigid Package Offers Convenience

The Benchmarking family of boxes from Taylor Box Co., Warren, RI, won the rigid box best-of-show award. A video and leader's guide was packaged in these rigid boxes for Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA.

The style is a variation of a slip and slash case set. The graphics process included four-color process offset printing on Hyflex 7 plus film lamination. Materials include .080 vat lined chip, 0.60 vat lined chip, and .020 solid bleached sulfate (SBS).

The innovations for this package included an angled front on the outer case for ease of removing the inner case without thumb cuts and a wrapped "v" cut on the inner case that allows access to the product without raw edges. A folded SBS divider is included.

Taylor Box reports that this is a compact, convenient way to store two disparate items and easily fits on a shelf with other reference materials.

For more information contact. National Paperbox Assn., 1201 E. Ablingdon Dr., Ste. 203, Alexandria, VA 22314; ph: 703/684-2212; fax: 703/683-6920.