Installations News
PrintFlex Graphics to install Heidelberg’s First Gallus One in North America

PrintFlex Graphics, a flexographic printer specializing in on-pack and in-pack promotions, recently purchased a new Gallus One digital label press from Heidelberg. To be installed later this year, the machine is the first-of-its-kind in North America and the first digital press for PrintFlex.

The Gallus One will help the St. Louis, M.O.-based printer tap into new markets and expand its sticker and label business.

PrintFlex Graphics began its business in 1995 with just three employees, and today has grown to employ roughly 35 and occupies two large buildings in St. Louis. For the better part of its history, the company, who primarily serves the CPG market, has strayed from traditional label and sticker production – focusing on more complex applications like peel and reseal coupons and folded promotional booklets, which are applied on or inserted inside of a package. As it did with many companies, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted certain weaknesses in PrintFlex’s business. Consumers “scrambled” to purchase whatever they could find in stores, and companies did not have a need to produce specialty promotional materials to sell their products.

“After years of growing our business,” said Liz Pecha-Poelker, CEO of PrintFlex, “it became a little static. We’re looking for new markets that we can grow into. The pandemic really highlighted that need for us.”

The company, equipped with a 14-unit Gallus EM 280, then began tracking the amount of existing work it could move to a digital press.

“We realized it’s just not efficient producing the short run sticker and label work we do have on our current press,” said Pecha-Poelker. “We frequently use all 14 units. We’re doing all this crazy peel and reseal and using different varnish plates here and another varnish there. It just doesn’t make sense for our less complex jobs.”

Needing to diversify its customer portfolio and a better way to produce short run labels, PrintFlex will install its first digital press, the Gallus One, later this year.

The company is hopeful the machine will help attract more local, smaller businesses that it currently struggles to effectively serve as well as provide more services to its current customers.