AUSTIN, Texas — Digital printing company, ePac Flexible Packaging, is moving along with its ambitious expansion plans with new facilities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Richmond, Virginia.

The Philadelphia location is expected to be operational by February 2020, while the Richmond facility should be ready in April 2020, according to the company. Both facilities were mentioned in ePac’s initial expansion plans, which it announced in February 2019.

“The short-run, quick turnaround service delivery model of ePac will bring tremendous benefits for many local businesses that currently do not have the scale, capital, or expertise to compete. We empower local small businesses with flexible packaging products on par with big brand owners to enable them to compete,” said Robert Laird, who will serve as general manager of both new ePac locations. 

ePac recently expanded to the UK and Canada, with a facility in Silverstone opening in December 2019 and a Vancouver building to open in January 2020, according to the company. It added that it plans to expand to the Asia Pacific market in early 2020. 

In November, ePac closed on an investment deal worth $100 million with digital printing supplier Hewlett-Packard (HP) to nearly double the company’s HP Indigo digital printing presses across 20 locations.

According to ePac, the company is the only US-based packaging supplier using the latest digital printing technology, HP Indigo 20000. The company works with both large and small manufacturers to offer a quick-to-market approach.

The company is a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and produces recyclable, compostable and post-consumer recycled films. It says its digital printing platform “uses less energy, produces less waste, and has a smaller carbon footprint than conventional printing technology,” as well.

Currently, ePac operates facilities in Atlanta, Georgia; Austin; Boston; Boulder, Colorado; Chicago; Los Angeles; Miami; and Madison, Wisconsin. It plans to open a facility in St. Paul, Minnesota in January 2020 after announcing it in October 2019.

Stay up to date on news about the pet food processing industry on our News page.