In an interview with PrintWeek, Copac CEO Jerry Lux said while the 41-year-old company has traditionally been a Heidelberg shop, he did look at other equipment suppliers before picking up the new Speedmaster XL 105, citing its reliability and productivity.

Copac provides packaging services for a variety of industries, including tobacco, healthcare, consumer products, home fragrance, and food and beverage, focusing on high-end folding cartons, labels, inserts and hang tags.

The company recently built and equipped a new manufacturing plant in the Dominican Republic that features an all-Heidelberg workflow. "Our Central America business is tobacco-based as well as some apparel," Lux explained. "Central America is big in tobacco, especially the high-end cigars that typically go for $10 a piece."

Though he conceded the packaging industry remains very cost competitive, Lux noted that new press technology is enabling commercial printers to offer better graphics and color even while keeping prices down, adding, "You can compete on price if you choose to, but you can also provide the highest quality product out there."

Copac also invested recently in digital presses, giving it the ability to not just do labels, but also digitally printed cartons a well.

Announcing the new install, Lux suggested that increasingly consumer package goods brands are looking for multiple printing options for different products.

"One of the limitations of digital is that it has a very small footprint," he said. "Beyond quantity, a lot of cartons just won't fit on our digital presses. Our base technology is sheetfed offset, and we complement that with flexo and digital. We certainly intend and expect to be using all three processes for many of our customers."