After weeks of deliberation by our judges the finalists in the third annual Ackrill Media Group Business Awards have almost all been decided.

One of the most popular categories this year was Best Company Website of the Year, sponsored by Business Link York and North Yorkshire, which attracted high quality entries, demonstrating the emphasis most companies are now placing on having an impressive online presence. More than 100 entries were received and the standard of entries was high, with submissions from some of the newest small businesses to some of the largest and well-established and we are pleased to have reached the final eight!

There are 13 categories in all, including the new Green Award sponsored by Platinum, and the judges have spent a tough few weeks reading the entries and deciding on the finalists.

Green Award: Sponsored by Platinum Print
Best Small Company of the Year (1 to 10 employees): sponsored by Harrogate Chamber of Trade and Commerce
Best Medium-Sized Company of the Year (11 to 50 employees): sponsored by Si Recruitment
Employer of the Year: sponsored by Berwins llp
Employee of the Year: sponsored by Cardale Stockbrokers
Best Rural Initiative: sponsored by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society
Tourism Award: sponsored by Harrogate International Centre
Business Personality of the Year Award: sponsored by Saffery Champness
Best Large Company of the Year (over 50 employees): sponsored by McCormicks Solicitors
The Mayor’s Award: sponsored by Harrogate Borough Council
Young Entrepreneur of the Year: sponsored by Evans Easyspace
Best Company Website of the Year: sponsored by Business Link York and North Yorkshire for which we are nominated
Lifetime Achievement Award: sponsored by Cicada Communications Ltd

We recently invested in a new full colour digital printing press, a Konica Minolta C6500e together with innovative DirectSmile software.

The new press enables us to expand the range of digital printing services we offer including image personalisation, opening up opportunities for creative designs with rich variable content. We can create a name or a line of personalisation out of any image desired, increasing your response rates and maximising your return on investment.

We can now print small runs of brochures, price lists, posters, flyers etc. more competitively.

If you would like to see samples of image personalisation or would like additional information contact the Sales office on 01423 881158 or visit www.platinumprint.com/DirectSmile.html

Greater accuracy, sharper detail and faster production times were on our wish list in the pre-press department again this year! We ticked all the boxes with the purchase of a Dupont Largo 4406 Digital Cromalin and Cromanet RIP.

We can now output proofs at increased speeds and have the ability to output posters up to 1.1metre wide x 30 metres in length! Once again all calibrated to Pantone and the current ISO 12647-2 standards.

We can also replicate the effect of printing onto the new ranges of uncoated papers that are being used more and more to create that ‘different look and feel’ many client’s are after.

Harrogate printers, Platinum Print, are proud to sponsor the Ackrills Green Business Award. As one of only four Pantone-accredited printers in the UK, Platinum Print has had an unrivalled reputation for providing a top quality product and excellent service since 1988. From the simplest business cards to the most complex full colour literature requiring a whole range of techniques including laser overprinting and personalization to bespoke cutting and creasing and shrink-wrapping, Platinum can fulfill the print requirements of large and small businesses.
Platinum’s dedicated graphics team work directly with customers to ensure the brief is interpreted to an exceptional standard and the sales team guarantees that all jobs are efficiently tracked to completion. Platinum’s twenty-plus staff is committed to providing a professional service.
Platinum Mailing Service handles direct mail for customers all over the UK, from regular newsletters to monthly statements and personalized items. Mailsort facilities can save customers over 30% on postage and involves taking the printed item through to the ‘postman’s walk’ stage using sophisticated software that works with the customer’s mailing list. A free database analysis service is offered to show customers how much money can be saved by mailing in this way.
The commitment to environmentally-friendly business ethics is considered fundamental at Platinum. From the purchase of the latest Komori 5 colour press which uses fewer chemicals, vegetable inks and no alcohol, Platinum’s environmental policy guarantees their commitment to minimise the impact of their business on the environment. As recent finalists for an environmental award, their environmental management system ensures that waste is minimized, that energy is used efficiently and that recycled products are used wherever possible. Accreditation through the Forestry Stewardship Council is already in progress and in the last year, Platinum printed over 33 tons of recycled paper which saved 790 trees!

Managing director, David Wyvill says, ‘We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and encouraging the companies that we work with to do the same. Taking the green route does not necessarily mean a reduction in quality or an increase in cost – it just means changing the way you think about how you do business. We hope this initiative will do something to bring this change about.’

The Acorn 100k Bike Ride welcomed 233 cyclists and raised more than £35,000 for the two charities supported by the Acorn Committee, the Ripon and Harrogate branch of the Alzheimer's Society and research into Scleroderma disease at Leeds General Infirmary.
The ride was this year’s Acorn Challenge and took place on a marshalled route from Bishop Monkton across North Yorkshire.
As well as the cyclists, two walkers, Neil Jones, from Harrogate, and Martin Selley, from Plymouth, set off at 9pm the night before and completed the route on foot, raising £3,200. This has been matched by BUPA, bringing their total to a staggering £6,400.
The route was marshalled by more than 70 volunteers, and St John’s Ambulance, as well as receiving technical support from Helsby Cycles and Boneshakers. The event was sponsored by www.lights4fun.com and supported by Waitrose, Asda, Nestle Rowntree, J D Cycles, Seabrook Crisps, Imageco and Marsland Timber. Karbitz of Boroughbridge also donated a bike to be presented to the cyclist raising the most sponsorship for Acorn.
Although the event was non-competitive, the fastest man was Sean Lippell, who completed the course in three hours and five minutes, while the fastest woman was Julie Harrison, who also came second!
Teams from a number of local businesses also took part, including The Fisher Partnership, Imageco and Platinum Print as well as a team from Leeds General Infirmary. Platinum Print’s Marina Wyvill and Jane Williams completed the Bike Ride and are also competing in the BUPA Great North Run for Alzheimer’s next month.
Louise Hanen, chairman of Harrogate-based Acorn, said: “We had expected around 100 cyclists to join our Bike Ride and we have been overwhelmed by the response to this year’s Acorn Challenge. We were especially delighted that so many people who were not regular cyclists made such a huge effort to take part on the day. A big thank you must go to all the volunteers, sponsors and supporters.”
Next year’s Acorn 100k Bike Ride will take place on Saturday, May 17. The next Acorn event is Acorn Goes Gardening on September 6 (tickets £15), followed by the Acorn Ball on September 8.
If you would like to know more about Acorn or the charities it supports, please contact Louise Hanen on 01423 734 876.

Edited by Harrogate Advertiser 15 August 2007
http://www.harrogateadvertiser.net/harrogate-news/Bike-Ride39s-35000-for-charity.3116894.jp

THERE were 790 trees saved from felling this year by one policy action from Platinum Print Ltd, of Harrogate.
The environmentally-conscious firm recommends its customers choose recycled paper and board. The result? The firm printed more than 33 tons of recycled paper.
For founder and managing director David Wyvill, the "greening" process is not just cosmetic. He has invested £800,000 in lean-burn machinery, including a five-colour Komori press and plate maker.
Already it has cut down on wastage and uses 55 per cent less alcohol in the printing process. The plate maker was chosen because it eliminates the waste chemicals.
And it has a facility on its website, www.platinumprint.com that enables customers to calculate their carbon footprint on a typical printed job so that comparison can be made on cost and environmental impact by using recycled paper.
Now armed with a nomination in Harrogate Borough Council's BAFTERS awards (Best Action For The Environment Road Show), Platinum Print is seeking the Think Green Business Of The Year title in The Press Business Awards 2007.
And, as business in general "goes green", Platinum Print has forged partnerships with suppliers to boost its eco-friendly credentials.

Edited by The Press 15 August 2007
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/business/awards/profiles/display.var.1652002.0.platinum_print_ltd.php

Harrogate printers Platinum Print has become only the fourth printers in the UK to receive accreditation by Pantone Inc - the global colour authority.
The scheme, launched in 2004, recognises and awards printers who can achieve the highest international quality standards for colour printing, which is great news for Platinum which works for York-based Superbreak Mini Holidays, City of York Council and Yorkshire Housing.
Mark Plummer, Platinum Print's Production Director, said: "The accreditation process was based on the most rigorous assessments at Platinum to demonstrate that all the necessary controls were in place to produce the highest standards of colour printing, based on Pantone's 40 years of colour production experience.
"Pantone now maintain an on-going audit to ensure that their standards are consistently achieved after acceditation."

Edited by IT & Digital York 30-Jul-07
www.sciencecityyork.org.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=2483&d=11&h=24&f=46

The Screen Platerite 4300S is claimed to eliminate all waste processing chemistry, with further enhancements to output quality, speed and improved screening technology, said the UK printing company. Using the latest screening techniques the Platerite 4300S gives clearer and crisper detail, not just in pictures but also tinted text, added the company.
The new machine will also allow plate production to continue throughout the night, even after the company's shifts end.
Complete automation through plate size changes will enable Platinum to have greater flexibility.
Mark Plummer, Platinum Print's production director, said: 'We have been at the forefront of computer to plate technology since its inception.
In this age of environmental awareness, combined with Platinum's waste reduction policy, a total elimination in waste chemistry was a major factor in the final choice of machine.'

Edited by the Printingtalk Editorial Team on 22 March 2007
www.printingtalk.com/news/plt/plt100.html