HP and ePac announce record $100 million rollout of 20 HP Indigo Digital Presses

The largest deal to date for HP Graphics’ packaging business, the new ePac order is estimated to be worth over $100 million – including hardware, supplies and services. “ePac’s rapid success using HP Indigo is proof positive that the market is ripe for digital transformation,” said Enrique Lores, President of Imaging, Printing and Solutions at HP. “In two years, ePac has become a force in digital flexible packaging with HP Indigo at the centre of its visionary business model. We look forward to building on this momentum as more companies like ePac unleash the versatility and power of HP digital print.”
ePac is currently experiencing triple-digit growth by delivering high-quality packaging with fast turnarounds to benefit brands, especially its main customer base of SMBs. The 20 new HP Indigo 20000 Digital Presses are scheduled to be installed at sites throughout the U.S. by 2020, as it expands its business model to 15 locations. Its current seven locations include: Boulder, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois; Austin, Texas; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; Boston, Massachusetts and Madison, Wisconsin. Four ePac sites are currently operating eight HP Indigo 20000 Presses. This third wave of presses will bring the installed base to 28 units to support increasing customer demand and serve new locations, including the recently announced Boston and Austin sites, joining Madison, Chicago, Miami, and Boulder.

Founded in May of 2016 as a Greenfield business, ePac Flexible Packaging is the first North American all-digital, all-Indigo, full-service printer/converter providing economical short-run and medium-run jobs to brands of all sizes, with rapid time to market and true high-definition graphics. ePac is a full-service converter, offering a range of end-to-end solutions including HP Indigo Pack Ready Lamination, eBeam curing, and pouch-making lines. “ePac’s collaboration with HP Indigo is a huge success and we believe this can easily turn into a billion-dollar business,” said Jack Knott, CEO of ePac Flexible Packaging. “Thanks to HP Indigo digital printing and our unique business model, our customers are benefiting from an improved experience, including completing orders within 10 business days – compared with 6 to 12 weeks for conventional printing – as well as reduced environmental impact and on-demand customization.”

HP “digital disruption” in the packaging sector is evidenced by more than 160 HP Indigo 20000 Digital Presses already sold to converters around the world – up from 100 a year ago. The 30″ (76 cm) HP Indigo 20000 can print virtually any sized flexible packaging application with unlimited variation, and support demand for growing SKUs – alongside the benefits of reduced waste from minimal set-up, and production of only the quantities needed. The solution provides converters the freedom to produce nearly any flexible packaging application in addition to labels and shrink sleeves on film or paper – all with the proven quality to help meet strict brand requirements.