Page 57 - Food&Drink Business magazine June 2022

MEMBER NEWS
LEFT: A sell-out success: The Gala Dinner was a night to remember, with the size
of gathering reflective of the industry’s eagerness to socialise again with colleagues at professional networking events.
BELOW: Fibre King was awarded the Australian Machinery Manufacturer Award – Corporate for the Little Packer case packer. Pictured here with the trophy (from left) are Greg Constantinidis, Greg Windsor and James Windsor.
BOTTOM: The Community Contribution Award was won by Foodmach for Project Med-Con. Picking up the award on behalf of the team behind the project, including the late Peter Marks, are (from left) Tim Ford, Earle Roberts and Suren Moodley.
Foodmach was also victorious in the Community Contribution Award, a new category this year to recognise an organisation that demonstrates leadership and commitment to community wellbeing. This award, which recognises an APPMA member’s industry-level contributions during the past three years, went to Foodmach for its Project Med-Con – a remarkable feat that saw the company supply equipment in record time to PPE mask manufacturer Med-Con.
The Packaging Design Innovation Award, which recognises design innovation and success as a result of a new idea or modification introduced into a packaging design, went to GS1 Australia, for its 2DBarcodes on packaging, which are set to change the face of commerce and retail, in the words of GS1 Australia CEO Maria Palazzolo.
The Sustainability Award, sponsored by Nord Drivesystems, focused on environmental sustainability, such as recycling, food waste redistribution and eco-friendly energy supply. This category incorporated sustainability projects recognising organisations showing leadership and
“... a resounding success and wonderful celebration of the industry’s achievements.”
commitment to environmentally sustainable business practices, through innovative solutions for new and existing market needs. The winner was LACO Automation & Service for the turnkey solution for Circular Plastics Australia (jvc) recycling plant that sees post-consumer PET recycled to produce 100 per cent rPET resin for remanufacture into beverage packaging by Asahi and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.
The final category, also new this year, is the Emerging Leadership Award, recognising an
individual who has been engaged in the Australian packaging and processing industry machinery industry for less than 10 years, and demonstrating high capability and leadership, whether in research, technical or business operations. Two candidates were declared winners: Simon Czudek, Design Manager at HMPS, and Saeed Mafi, Mechanical Engineer at Rhima Australia.
Both will be given the opportunity of an ambassadorial role within the industry.
The Awards of Excellence this year were reshaped around four main points: recognition, celebration, inclusivity and education.
Dingley said, “The 2022 APPMA Awards of Excellence Gala Dinner, with well-known entertainer Tim Campbell as MC, was a brilliant celebration, and APPMA would like to thank our sponsors, without whom we would not be able to put on an event of this calibre.
“On behalf of the APPMA Board, I congratulate every winner for their achievements and every finalist – indeed every business that submitted an entry – on their efforts.” ■
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