Duluth, Ga. (June 28, 2023) – Craig Gunckel, CEO of Iconex, the world’s leading provider of highly differentiated label solutions and low-cost paper receipts, was named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2023 Southeast Award winner. One of the preeminent competitive awards for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies, Gunckel was selected by an independent judging panel made up of previous award winners, leading CEOs, investors, and other regional business leaders. Candidates were evaluated based on their demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth, and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.
“This isn’t my award, but one made a reality by the hard work, dedication, and heart of our 900 Iconex coworkers worldwide,” says Gunckel. “They are an inspiration to me and our entire leadership team, and the only way our company leads and innovates a global industry like ours. Their commitment to producing the very best product on the market drives us to greatness each and every day.”
In the last six years, Iconex has been completely transformed into the industry leader of paper receipt and label solutions. Building on its history of innovation, the company has operations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., and France, and continues to scale through new product development, and acquiring and integrating several businesses to increase scale and add new customers.
Iconex has and continues to make substantial investments in equipment, R&D, and personnel to increase its profitability and spur innovation. On the heels of establishing standalone growth strategies for the Labels and Paper Receipts businesses, the leadership team recently invested $26 million to expand production capabilities, which resulted in a 20% revenue increase from 2021 to 2022. The company has also implemented a new ERP platform with data-driven reporting tools to improve decision making, realigned Iconex’s geographic footprint and plant configurations, and divested non-core operations.
For nearly four decades, EY US has honored entrepreneurs whose ambition, courage and ingenuity have driven their companies’ success, transformed their industries and made a positive impact on their communities. Entrepreneur Of The Year Award winners become lifetime members of a global, multi-industry community of entrepreneurs, with exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight and wisdom of program alumni and other ecosystem members in over 60 countries — all supported by vast EY resources. Since 1986, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program has recognized more than 11,000 US executives.
As a Southeast award winner, Gunckel is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 National Awards. The National Award winners, including the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced in November at the Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies.
About Iconex
Iconex is the world’s leading low-cost provider of paper receipt and variable print label solutions that transform business processes to drive profitability, productivity, customer satisfaction and sustainability. A tradition of innovation dating back to 1887 is woven into the fabric of Iconex’s identity beginning with the
company’s invention of the paper receipt, which revolutionized business transactions. That spirit of innovation continues with the introduction of Iconex Sticky Media™, Sticky Media G2 and other patented innovations that are relied on by several of the world’s largest companies in food & beverage, retail, quick service restaurants, grocery, pharmacy, manufacturing and distribution and logistics to streamline operations, leading to an improved customer experience. For more information, please visit iconex.com.
About Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Entrepreneur Of The Year® is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. National Overall Award winners go on to compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year® title. Visit ey.com/us/eoy. To view regional winners, visit: https://www.ey.com/en_us/entrepreneur-of-the-year/southeast/winners-finalists
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