HP Inc. and ePac, the digital flexible packaging specialist, have announced a new stage in their market acceleration for flexible packaging with a further rollout of 26 additional HP Indigo digital presses. ePac will be the first converter in the world to install the new HP Indigo 25K digital press, as it expands the transformation of the global flexible packaging market into additional locations in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. 

“ePac is completely changing the way small and medium size businesses around the world can access new markets and level the playing field with fast, top quality flexible packaging,” says Jack Knott, CEO, ePac Flexible Packaging. “The ability for rapid growth through proven technology and global support of HP Indigo is helping us reach yet another milestone in our history and bring innovation and change to new sites around the world and the communities they serve.”

The agreement to supply 26 HP Indigo 25K digital presses units will create a 76-press global fleet by 2021. A new ePac site in Sacramento, CA, USA will serve as the first installation of the new HP Indigo 25K beginning next month.

As a result of ePac’s growth trajectory, revenues are forecast to reach more than $100 million this year. Founded in May 2016 as a Greenfield business with one HP Indigo 20000 press, ePac has grown exponentially, today serving thousands of customers. ePac’s key markets include coffee, pet food, nutritional supplements, snacks, health and beauty, organic foods, cheese and dairy, and bakery products.

“The ePac business model is truly disruptive in its new category creation. Our goal is to innovate with our customers to expand this category, and potentially others, using top of the line digital print,” explains Haim Levit, general manager, HP Indigo. “We are proud of our close collaboration with ePac and look forward to leveraging HP’s global presence to scale up the next stage of their growth, and see them serve even more brands and communities around the world.”

The new HP Indigo 25K  addresses the on-demand flexible packaging market, with optimized production efficiency and minimal environmental impact. Building upon the global success of the HP Indigo 20000 platform, the Indigo 25K is poised to bring new value to brands and converters around the world in a fast growing category.

The success of ePac has been built around the ability to provide any brand high-quality flexible packaging at the local level, with low minimum order quantities. Together, with expansion into new locations, ePac will continue to be a disruptive force with in the flexible packaging market, the company says.

Through variable data capabilities to increase shelf appeal and track-and-trace technologies, ePac offers added customer engagement and brand protection and future capabilities around recyclability. These solutions are also built on HP Indigo and partner technologies. Through the power of digital printing, every package produced by ePac can be serialized with a unique code that allows it to be tracked from production through reuse to provide supply chain transparency to all parties in the value chain. ePac has announced a partnership with RePurpose Technologies (RPT) to create community-based recycling solutions.