Burton Mail managing director Jim Black scooped a national award to be named Production Journal Personality of the Year at the 2001 Newspaper Awards in London.

He received the award for his role in developing and implementing AdFast, the regional press’ internet-based artwork transmission system.

PJ editor Gary Cullum, who presented the award, said: “Jim’s unstinting and unselfish service has brought about a rare industry collaboration.

“His inspirational leadership has galvanised an industry into collective action to solve one of the biggest problems in digital workflow ­ that of error-free artwork transmission – from concept, design, funding, implementation and success of an initiative that will ultimately save publishers many millions of pounds in unnecessary costs.”

Jim is the chairman of the Newspaper Society’s Technical Forum and has been hailed as the driving force behind the innovation.

The Newspaper Awards, in association with Production Journal and Fujifilm Graphics Systems, are the only awards dedicated to newspaper production.

More than 400 of the country’s top national and regional newspapers entered the awards, this year in their fifth year.

The main category winner were:

National Newspaper of the Year (Stora Enso Premier Award): The Guardian;

Regional Newspaper of the Year (Fujifilm Graphic Systems Premier Award): Leicester Mercury;

Sunday Newspaper of the Year (net-linx Sii Premier Award): Sunday Times;

Weekly newspaper of the Year (Digital Technology International Award): Kent Messenger;

West Ferry Printers won the AdFast Awards for Best Use of Digital Communication.

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