Installs HP Scitex 15500 at its Kansas City plant 

Vanguard Packaging, a leading converter of point-of-purchase displays, signage, retail packaging, and corrugated boxes, has expanded its digital printing capacity with an HP Scitex 15500 Corrugated Press. 

The Scitex digital press, installed at Vanguard’s underground facility in Kansas City, Missouri’s SubTropolis industrial park, is now printing short and medium run orders more efficiently compared with traditional processes, while boosting the company’s sustainability agenda.

“This investment in HP digital is another step in the evolutionary chain. There are two types of companies out there: those that are already in digital and those that will need to be in digital.  Vanguard Packaging plans to remain on the leading edge of digital printing,” said Mark Mathes, Vanguard CEO. The family-owned business was established in 1975.

Mathes said he is also excited about Vanguard’s investment in the upcoming HP PageWide C500, a single pass, direct-to-board press, banking on HP’s R&D investment in the solution.

“From a production standpoint, the Vanguard facility is running more efficiently with the HP Scitex 15500, improving the bottom line significantly,” added Justin Mathes, Vanguard’s Director of Sales. “From a sustainability standpoint, on shorter production runs our scrap rate is being reduced by up to 80%.” 

Focused on providing turnkey solutions for retailers, CPGs and creative agencies, Vanguard can now complete orders end-to-end within days using the new HP Scitex 15500 press. “Digital printing allows us to jump very quickly. Our experience shows it is not uncommon for a half-million-dollar project to come with a 48-hour turnaround,” Justin Mathes said. “Further, the print quality far exceeds that of the alternatives available today.”

Vanguard’s unique manufacturing facility, at 148 feet underground with a consistent underground climate is also very conducive to digital printing. “This machine is an excellent example of a sustainable win for Vanguard,” notes Mark Mathes. “It is very consistent with how we run our company.”

The HP Scitex 15500 Corrugated Press enables printing of high-quality graphics on a wide range of corrugated media using HP Scitex High Dynamic Range (HDR) Printing Technology, providing precision control over color and tone for clarity of image detail. HDR is ideal for high-impact graphics in packaging applications.

Vanguard Packaging is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri with design, sales and project management offices in St. Louis, Missouri and Bentonville, Arkansas.