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A graduate of Pennsylvania Military College and a veteran of the US Army, Bob’s professional career included management positions at Avery Dennison, Essex Coated Products and Webcraft, a New Jersey based print media supplier. In 1985, he and Pat bought Driscoll Label from Elwood Driscoll, and the acquisition included a separate business, Custom Cut Label Stock. This was a supplier of small quantity, first quality print materials.
In the 1990’s, Driscoll’s business shifted from small retail businesses to larger and more prominent companies. His company evolved from a three-color Mark Andy press, to a Roto Press, and eventually to a 10-color press.
In 2005, he and his wife sold the business and retired.
A long-time member of the Tag & Label Manufacturers Institute, Bob was an astute marketer who appreciated the benefits of networking. In 2005, Driscoll Label won TLMI’s Eugene Singer Award for the best managed company. He was also one of the founders of NELMA, the North East Label Manufacturers Association.
“[He was] more than a brother; he was a mentor in many ways,” says Ken Mihalik, a long-time friend and Driscoll Label’s director of operations for 20 years. “He was generous, he took suggestions, he had a great sense of humor. We were really a family there. The flavor of our company was people.”
Bob Mazzella, the owner of Label Master, a converter in Lodi, NJ, was one of the NELMA founders and an admirer of Biava. “He was driven, and he was knowledgeable – really knowledgeable. I trusted him. You could talk with him and get a good answer. He was always there for you.”
An avid boater, Bob spent much of his life enjoying the New Jersey shore in his free time. Over the past 15 years, he became enamored with the American Southwest and would spent winters at their desert home outside of Phoenix, AZ, USA, at the foot of the Superstition Mountains.
A memorial celebration will take place on Saturday, December 6, Oyster Point Hotel, Red Bank, NJ, USA, from 1 to 5 pm.