Arlington, VA,-- The Packaging Education Forum (PEF) has selected 100-year old packaging machinery manufacturer, Adolph Gottscho, Inc., of Union, NJ, as Packaging Leader of the Year, 2003-2004.
In naming Gottscho the Packaging Leader of the Year, 2003-2004, the PEF Board of Directors recognizes the company fs long-standing support of college-level packaging education and in particular the privately owned company fs active interest in gand significant financial backing of h the packaging program at Rutgers University. Last year, Eva Gottscho, Chairman and President of the privately held firm, pledged $1.5 million toward the construction of a teaching laboratory at Rutgers to be known as the Ira Gottscho Packaging Engineering Laboratory. Having established the Gottscho packaging library at Rutgers in the 1970s, the company has long championed the school÷Õ packaging program. Eva Gottscho is active with the Friends of Packaging at Rutgers and is a member of the board of overseers for the Rutgers University Foundation.
"In a region rich in pharmaceutical and other industrial activity, it's critical that Rutgers contribute significantly to packaging innovation, creativity and production. Eva's generosity helps make it possible," said Michael T. Klein, dean of Rutgers f School of Engineering.
As long-time supporters of college-level packaging education, both Mrs. Gottscho and her late husband, Ira, were inducted into the PEF Packaging Hall of Fame. Mrs. Gottscho was inducted into the Packaging Hall of Fame in 1986, thirteen years after the induction of her husband in 1973.
Since 1970, the PEF Board has annually presented the Packaging Leader of the Year award to an organization in recognition of its contribution to the field of packaging and its support of college-level packaging education.
PEF will present the Packaging Leader of the Year, 2003-2004 award to Gottscho during the October 13 Packaging Leadership Awards ceremonies at Star Trek: The Experience in the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. The ceremonies will be held in conjunction with PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2003 and will include the Packaging Hall of Fame inducation of Bill Archibald of General Mills, Inc., Bill Armstrong of Sealed Air Corporation, Richard G. Lee of Econocorp, Inc. and Arnie Orloski, Jr. of Packaging World Magazine. Tickets to the ceremonies, which include cocktails and hors doeuvres, are $75. Proceeds of the event will support college-level packaging education programs in the United States and Canada. For further details and reservations, visit www.packagingeducation.org.
