Eriksen Wins Lifetime Achievement Award 2005
BAVENO, Italy—The Label Industry Global Awards 2005 Judges met in Baveno, Italy, just prior to the FINAT Congress, and formally decided the winners of all the Label Industry Global Awards winners. Three of the four awards will be announced at the Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner on 21st September, the first evening of Labelexpo Europe 2005, at Autoworld Brussels. However, the Judges are now able to announce that the winner of the R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award 2005. The winner is Mr Lars Eriksen, owner and President of the family-owned company, Nilpeter A/S, Denmark. Mr Eriksen has been Vice-Chairman of the Board since 1975, and additionally has several board functions in companies within the graphics industry, most recently becoming Chairman of Etipol A/S.
Over the past thirty years Lars Eriksen has built his company into one of the world's leading and most innovative production plants manufacturing narrow web printing presses. Today, Nilpeter is a global company headquartered in Slagelse, Denmark, and has subsidiaries in England, France, Poland, Germany, Thailand, China, USA and Brazil, and agents in 65 countries all over the world - between them employing 500 people and with a global turnover of more than 120 million Euros.
A key business philosophy fostered by Mr Eriksen in the company over many years is openness of management, and this starts from the offices and production facilities. Communication between the organisation and the management is very efficient and decisions are taken quickly due to this openness of communication. Mr Eriksen regards this as one of the key features of being competitive in the markets of the future, and this philosophy has long been regarded as a model to be followed by other Danish companies.
Another crucial strength fostered at Nilpeter is innovation. Innovation has undoubtedly long been a core value to Nilpeter's success, and to Lars Eriksen personally as true pioneer of innovative ideas. By Eriksen's profound insight and knowledge of the industry's call for development - and research in general - he is regarded as a true ideal of innovation and has been breaking new ground for years through his comprehensive and versatile thinking. (Nilpeter was nominated for the prestigious 'Label Industry Award for Continuous Innovation' at Labelexpo Americas 2004).
The ability to create value for money is a further reason behind the company success, again driven by Lars Eriksen. Eriksen explained, "Nilpeter's aim is to deliver customised printing presses that have been developed with a focus on high quality and to maximise the customer's return on investment."
Flexibility, another of Nilpeter's major assets, gives the company a huge competitive advantage within the labeling industry. "Companies performing well are those who are flexible" added Eriksen, "At Nilpeter, our strategy is to standardise anything that can be standardised and to specialise in anything that can be specialised in. In order for Nilpeter to stay competitive in the global market, efficiency is also vital.'
Lars Eriksen was born in 1947. His mother was the daughter of the original founders of Nilpeter, which makes Lars Eriksen the third generation in the family business. He grew up with Nilpeter and is one of the few company personnel to have formerly been employed in all departments of the company, so leaving him with a profound knowledge of every single function in the Nilpeter business - although his attention and efforts today are more concentrated in the areas of R&D and sales.
Previously, Mr. Eriksen had worked outside Denmark as the management accountant of Nato in Brussels. This was after completion of his Diploma at the famous Niels Brock Business College of Copenhagen.
Lars Eriksen is married to Jytte Eriksen, and together they have a daughter, Pia Eriksen, and a son, Peter Eriksen, who is, at present, stationed in Thailand within the Nilpeter organisation.
Mike Fairley, Chairman, Label Industry Global Awards Judging Panel, said, "The Judging Panel are delighted to be able to honour Lars Eriksen with this award. The Lifetime Achievement Award has been won by only a select few and recognises the significant contribution he has made to our industry."
Roger Pellow, Labelexpo Managing Director, said, "It gives me great pleasure to be one of the first to congratulate Lars Eriksen for winning the Lifetime Achievement Award. Often called 'Mr Nilpeter', it could be said that Nilpeter is his life, and this award is very well deserved. It's worth noting that Lars is not only a pioneer within the narrow-web press industry - but also a pioneer within different sports and, what's more, a skilled golfer in his private life - which I for one, and many others in the label industry may be, very envious of! I very much look forward to the Awards Ceremony on 21st September, during Labelexpo Europe."