www.sundanceusa.com
www.sundanceusa.com

SunDance USA’s heritage traces back to fine arts publishing, which has stayed with the company throughout the years. Since it was established in 2007, SunDance USA has used that emphasis on art to meet its customers’ lofty expectations for high-quality labels and packaging. However, labels and packaging were not always part of SunDance’s arsenal.

John Ruggieri founded SunDance in 2007, when he made the decision to spin off from SunDance Publishing, a fine arts reproduction company originally acquired in 2004. SunDance has grown rapidly year-over-year since its inception, and became prominent in the design, print, mailing, large format and packaging industries. Labels and packaging came later to the company, as Ruggieri and his son, JohnHenry, had the foresight to make a calculated decision – to expand beyond commercial printing and enter the world of packaging.

John and JohnHenry have built up SunDance USA over the last 15 years, as it currently boasts 98 employees over 59,000 total square feet. The privately-held company also maintains three locations in Orlando, FL. JohnHenry serves as president, with John presiding as chairman.

“SunDance’s addition of packaging services, including labels, folding cartons and flexible packaging was a strategic decision,” explains JohnHenry. “These segments within the print industry are forecasted for aggressive growth and have less competition than the traditional print segment.

Due to SunDance’s previous capacities, it is perfectly positioned to offer a wide range of services – acting as a one-stop shop for customers. SunDance is equipped to piece together a whole solution, from start to finish.

“We understand a package needs to stand out on the shelf, and we have lots of options to choose from when helping our clients build their brands,” says JohnHenry. “We work with our clients to identify their challenges and devise a solution to meet those needs, whether it be identifying the right type of packaging, considering sustainable options, reducing shipping costs or testing new SKUs.”

The company’s quality has not gone unnoticed either. SunDance’s print solutions were recognized at the Florida Print Awards 2021 with the highest honor – Florida’s Best Printer Golden Flamingo Award. That win marked the second consecutive year the multi-channel print and marketing company had received the prestigious award.

“Being named Florida’s Best Printer for the second year in a row was an incredible honor, especially after the challenges of the past few years,” comments JohnHenry. “None of our awards would have been possible without our dedicated team that goes above and beyond to surpass client expectations.”

In addition to labels, SunDance has expanded its capabilities further in flexible packaging and pouches. Most recently, the company acquired an HP Indigo 25K digital press as the cornerstone of its newly formed flexible packaging division. The press has been added to its existing HP fleet, which includes an Indigo 7900, 6R digital press, Latex 3000, and an FB 700.

“Having worked with HP for some time now, and with seeing a new stream of orders and requests for products coming through our door, the decision to move into flexible packaging was a very natural next step for us,” remarks JohnHenry. “We’re excited to be able to utilize a fantastic product like the 25K in order to expand our offering and service our clients, and also with everything produced in-house, ensuring the utmost quality.

“SunDance’s digital offering for packaging provides our clients with greater flexibility at an affordable cost with shorter manufacturing timelines. And HP continues to be a valued partner for SunDance in support of this effort,” he adds.
In order to produce pouches, SunDance also recently partnered with Hudson-Sharp, part of Barry Wehmiller’s Converting Solutions platform, to upgrade the functionality of the printer’s newest Ares 400-SUP pouch machine to provide enhanced registration from the front to the back of pouches, while running separate films for each. This advanced technology allows Hudson-Sharp’s Ares 400-SUP machine to produce inserted gusset pouches using a variety of substrates for front and back webs.
SunDance USA also boasts a versatile sales and support team, designed to help customers with a wide range of printing needs. “Our core purpose is to solve problems – for our team members, clients and partners,” states JohnHenry. “We never start from no, and we do whatever it takes to get the job done for our customers. Our values also include being extremely innovative, living sustainably, and maintaining integrity.”

The company’s accolades speak for themselves. In addition to being honored in Florida, SunDance has enjoyed substantial growth and developed a nationwide client list of Fortune 500 businesses.

“Our industry has been faced with unprecedented challenges over the last 2.5 years, and we are working to minimize the potential impacts to our clients, as well as SunDance,” explains JohnHenry. “It has been said every challenge is an opportunity in disguise, and the supply chain challenges specifically are forcing us to expand and do business differently. In the last 12 months we acquired two additional buildings for operations and inventory, and we have increased paper inventory by over 200%.
“Growing, especially at this pace, is exciting and challenging all in the same breath, but we wouldn’t have it any other way,” he adds. “We have a phenomenal team and they are committed to our clients’ success, and when our clients win, we win.”