High Point, NC-based Packrite LLC continues to expand the range of solutions it offers brand owners with the recent installation of the Heiber + Schröder WP 1400 MASTER window patcher. Now fully operational, the highly versatile machine which offers two-lane production, pick and place, handle application, and paper and film capabilities, enhances the company’s ability to produce complex, high-impact, high-graphic corrugated packaging and folding cartons while reinforcing its one-stop-shop philosophy.
The WP 1400 enables Packrite to deliver advanced packaging features that were previously limited, including the ability to insert liners, produce scored windowed cartons, and apply the heaviest films available on the market. These capabilities open new possibilities for customers in food, confectionery, health and beauty, beverage, and premium consumer goods markets that require both product protection and strong visual presentation.
According to Michael Drummond, CEO and co-founder of Packrite, the investment directly strengthens the company’s ability to support customers’ packaging programs more fully. “This is our newest of two window patchers and has allowed us to expand the value we provide to our customers in many ways,” said Michael Drummond. “We can now insert liners, create scored windowed boxes, and run the heaviest films available, all in-house. Plus, our capacity has more than tripled with the enhanced speed of the WP 1400 and its two-lane capability which allows us to run two blanks simultaneously. That gives our customers more design flexibility, better product protection, and faster turnaround, all from a single source.”
The system’s precision registration ensures accurate placement of window films and liners, while its automation supports efficient production across a wide range of carton sizes and configurations. Customers benefit from improved consistency, reduced lead times, and the ability to execute more creative packaging designs that enhance shelf impact and consumer engagement.
Equally important, the WP 1400 strengthens Packrite’s integrated manufacturing model.
“This investment reinforces our commitment to being a turnkey provider,” Drummond added. “By bringing more capabilities in-house, we maintain greater control over quality, reduce dependency on outside processing and logistics, and simplify the complete process for our customers. They can rely on Packrite to manage complex projects from start to finish.”
With the Heiber + Schröder WP 1400 fully operational, Packrite reinforces its commitment to supporting brand owners through continued investment in advanced technology that improves efficiency and accelerates speed to market.
Other investment confirmed
The company has also announced the purchase of a new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 164 eight-color press. The installation, scheduled for spring 2026, marks a significant initiative in Packrite’s ability to further support complex, high-end packaging with digital-level speed and agility.
“We’ve spent years searching for a solution that combines the flexibility of digital with the superior quality of offset,” said Michael Drummond. “When Koenig & Bauer presented the Rapida 164 with its ultra-short make-readies and a 7-color expanded gamut, we knew we had found the answer. This press allows us to compete for the most demanding short-run jobs while maintaining the premium quality that our business is built on.”
The Rapida 164 features automated color control and seven-color expanded gamut printing, allowing Packrite to convert a high volume of spot colors to expanded gamut. This process dramatically reduces waste during setup. Make-readies can be completed in as little as five minutes. Packrite believes this shift will align better with their customer needs, helping brands to move from concept to shelf more nimbly.
The Rapida 164 is engineered as the ultimate large format, ultra-fast make-ready press with the latest digital automation. By utilizing fully automatic inline gray-balance-control and 7-color expanded gamut, the press autonomously measures and controls the dot – a feature unique to Koenig & Bauer technology. The system continuously monitors and adjusts color throughout the run, ensuring consistent results from the first sheet to the last – a critical requirement for regulated and design-sensitive packaging.
“For our customers, consistency is not an option. It is an expectation,” Michael Drummond said. “This press takes subjective color control out of human hands and puts it into the advanced quality systems integrated into the press. That’s how we achieve repeatability across short runs, long runs and reruns.”
