Two Sun Chemical employees—Ralph Arcurio and Jim Bishop—were presented with the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers’ (NAPIM) Pioneer Award.
The Pioneer Award honors those who have given more than 20 years of service to the printing ink industry through their work with one or several printing ink companies or suppliers, in addition to service work with ink associations, production clubs and other committees.
NAPIM also considers technical contributions in the areas of laboratory, engineering, production or product development.
Arcurio has provided 38 years of service to the advancement of polymer development. Granted 13 patents with seven more pending, Arcurio developed and commercialized overprint varnishes that protect packaging structures as well as high production volume resins for flexible packaging that enables quality graphics and high-performance lamination.
Under his management, Sun Chemical is reportedly in the process of rolling out the next generation of polymers that will address the need for sustainability, supply chain challenges and regulatory mandates based on natural and recycled materials.
Arcurio’s been honored with the “Inventor of the Year Award” by the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame in 2016. He holds a master’s degree in polymer chemistry from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and bachelor degrees in chemistry and economics from Rutgers University.
Bishop has been an expert and leader in electron beam curing technology since its inception more than 40 years ago. A global lead for electron beam (EB) and UV technology for flexible film packaging and offset printing, Bishop helped Sun Chemical to win two Intertech GATF awards (now Printing Industries of America) for technical achievement and innovation.
Bishop was one of six R&D chemists at Sun Chemical to develop the EB platform for long range development products and has worked with a Chamber of Commerce in Mitchell, South Dakota, to educate the next generation of printers by creating training for trade schools.
The awards were given during NAPIM’s 2023 convention, which was held March, 24-26 in Napa Valley, California.
