RAMSEY, NJ--(Marketwired - October 24, 2016) - Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) announced today the selection of Rick Taylor, president and chief executive officer of Konica Minolta, as Best Male Executive by The Cannata Report for the tenth year. In addition, Konica Minolta was recognized as Best-in-Class Manufacturer at The Cannata Report's Annual Awards and Charities Dinner on October 6^th where Antonio Pierce, New York Giants Super Bowl XLII champion, was the keynote speaker.

This is the tenth year that Taylor has received this award, which is given based on a minimum of 275 responses from dealers to The Cannata Report's Annual Dealer Survey, now in its 31^st year.

Earlier this year, Taylor was named President and CEO of Konica Minolta. Since that time, the company has expanded its product portfolio, increased its foot print in new markets, and grown its workforce.

"I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the incredible team at Konica Minolta," said Taylor. "The success of Konica Minolta can only be attributed to the hard work and dedication of our team which supports our clients and inspires me on a daily basis."

"Konica Minolta has garnered two awards in the last two consecutive years, this year for Best-in-Class Manufacturer, their first ever in this category, and for Best Male Executive for Rick Taylor," said Frank G. Cannata, president and chief executive officer, The Cannata Report. "Konica Minolta drew a very high percentage of favorable responses from their dealers making them the undisputed leader in those categories."

"Konica Minolta is one of the most generous supporters of our fundraising endeavors," said CJ Cannata, executive vice president and publisher, The Cannata Report. "When Antonio Pierce jocularly offered to 'sell' his mobile phone to raise additional funds for our charities, Konica Minolta responded by increasing their pledge. That spontaneous donation, one of the evening's highlights, exemplifies Konica Minolta's overall commitment to philanthropy."

The awards were presented at The Cannata Report's 31^st Annual Awards and Charities Dinner on Thursday at Westminster Hotel in Livingston, N.J. The event is attended by prominent executives from the imaging, document solutions and business technology industries, including all major copier/printer manufacturers and dealers.

Proceeds from this year's Cannata Dinner totaling $180,000 will support the Jackie Ritschel Endowment for Cancer Research and Treatment, created at Hackensack University Medical Center and Adopt-a-Soldier's support of Camp 4 Heroes. Since 1997, The Cannata Report's Annual Awards and Charities Dinner has raised over $1.9 million for various charities.

Prior to joining Konica Minolta in 2008, Taylor served as President and CEO of Toshiba America Business Solutions, where he was named "Executive of the Year" in 2001, 2003 and 2006 by The Cannata Report.

About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is a leader in information management focused on enterprise content, technology optimization and cloud services. We are reshaping the Workplace of the Future^™ (www.reshapework.com). Our portfolio of offerings deliver solutions to improve our customers' speed to market, manage technology costs, and facilitate the sharing of information to increase productivity. The All Covered IT Services division offers a range of IT strategy, support, project and cloud computing solutions across all verticals. Konica Minolta has won numerous awards, including placement in the Leaders Quadrant on the Gartner 2014 Magic Quadrant for Managed Print Services (MPS) and Managed Content Services (MCS). Konica Minolta has been recognized as the#1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for nine consecutive years. Konica Minolta, Inc. has also been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for five years in a row. For more information, please visit: www.CountOnKonicaMinolta.com and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook,YouTube, and Twitter@konicaminoltaus.

About THE CANNATA REPORT

Since its launch in 1982, THE CANNATA REPORT quickly became a leading domestic and international management resource for the Business Technology Industry. It has subscribers in nine countries and have enjoyed a reputation for providing industry-renown editorial, analyses, and opinion regarding this business for over 30 years. Its primary focus and audience are independent dealers, manufacturers and service and solution providers across the industry. As this channel continues to transition to a services orientation, it remains at the forefront. THE CANNATA REPORT and it complementary media brands, TheCannataReport.com and Live Wire blog, are owned and operated by parent company Marketing Research Consultants LLC (MRC). Since its inception 35 years ago, MRC has provided consulting services for every major business technology hardware manufacturer in the world. It's current media portfolio also extends across social media via THE CANNATA REPORT's Facebook page, Twitter page, LinkedIn page and YouTube channel.