The Lawrenceville, Georgia-headquartered manufacturer of machines for the signage, decoration, business equipment, industrial, and packaging sectors, which was acquired by Durst in 2020, announced that David Cich had passed away peacefully on 12 August, due to ongoing health issues sustained after an accident abroad.

Durst had posted a statement in April to say Cich was to take a medical leave of absence following “a serious accident in Amsterdam”.

The company said at the time that provisional leadership would be provided by Tim Saur, president and managing director of Durst North America and Jim Peterson, Vanguard co-founder and vice president of sales.

Before he founded Vanguard in 2015, Cich had worked for nearly seven years at CET Color, in roles including COO and VP of sales and marketing, and prior to that he had spent 11 years at Océ, as national sales manager/division head.

Vanguard paid tribute to Cich on LinkedIn: “Dave was an accomplished industry icon whose love for family permeated every company he built and every relationship he had, positively impacting all he encountered. Dave’s warm smile and infectious laugh will be missed, while his gentle spirit will remain with us forever.

“Vanguard Digital Printing Systems and the Durst Group are forever indebted to his legacy. They will, without pause, carry on that legacy, the products, and the focus he has established.”

Scores of further tributes were also paid by Cich’s colleagues and industry friends underneath the post.

A memorial service for Cich is being held at 11am local time (4pm BST) today at Hamilton Mill United Methodist Church, 1450 Pine Rd, Dacula, Georgia 30019.

There will be a reception following the service at 12.30pm (5.30pm BST) at Chateau Elan – Debussy Ballroom, 100 Rue Charlemagne Dr, Braselton, Georgia 30517.

Durst officially launched its Vanguard family of printers to the European market at Fespa last October, where it also debuted a new machine at the show. Cich was also CEO of Vanguard Europe.