Vanguard Companies is among the first companies in the United States to install the new HP PageWide C550VP Digital Press, expanding its digital manufacturing operation in Kansas City, MO. The investment builds on the company’s existing HP PageWide C500 Digital Press, significantly increasing digital production capacity while strengthening manufacturing resilience and creating new opportunities in corrugated packaging and point-of-purchase (POP) displays.
The new press represents the next phase of Vanguard Digital, Vanguard Companies’ digital printing initiative. Since its launch, VanguardDigital has evolved into a strategic growth engine for the company, creating new revenue opportunities, strengthening customer relationships and differentiating Vanguard Companies within the corrugated packaging, POP display, and digital printed sheet markets.
With the addition of the press, Vanguard Companies now has two advanced digital platforms operating side by side. This expanded capacity provides greater flexibility to manage fluctuating demand, complex production schedules and time-sensitive customer programs.
The dual-press configuration also creates greater manufacturing redundancy. Production can be shifted between platforms when needed, helping minimize downtime and maintain continuity from short-run promotional campaigns and seasonal programs to large-scale retail rollouts.
“HP provides the technology, and Vanguard Companies transforms it into retail success for our customers,” said James Beard, CEO, Vanguard Companies. “Adding a second press gives us the capacity and flexibility to take on more complex and time-sensitive programs while opening opportunities to provide digital print capacity to other corrugated converters. It strengthens our ability to move quickly, scale with our customers and pursue business that wasn’t previously within reach.”
The investment also expands the potential market for Vanguard Digital beyond Vanguard Companies’ own packaging and POP display production.
With additional digital capacity, Vanguard Companies can produce digitally printed corrugated sheets for other converters that do not havedigital printing capabilities of their own. This gives converters access to high-quality digital production without requiring them to make a significant capital investment in digital printing equipment.
For Vanguard Companies, the opportunity creates an additional revenue stream while extending the reach of its digital manufacturing capabilities across the corrugated industry.
