Gregory Horney 路 Fujifilm FP790: The Economics of Digital Packaging 路 PACK EXPO Chicago
At PACK EXPO in Chicago, INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft meets Gregory Horney from Fujifilm to discuss why digital printing is becoming increasingly attractive to flexible packaging converters, even in an industry traditionally considered conservative and heavily invested in conventional printing technologies.
The conversation focuses on the Fujifilm Jet Press FP790 and the business opportunities it creates beyond simply replacing analog production. While flexographic presses offer impressive production speeds, digital printing brings advantages in uptime, consistency, reduced setup costs, and the elimination of plates and other consumables. According to Horney, these benefits can fundamentally change the economics of packaging production, particularly as brands increasingly demand shorter runs, seasonal variations, and more SKUs.
Drawing on his experience working with converters, Horney explains how digital printing can help businesses reduce inventory, free up capacity on existing flexo presses, respond faster to changing customer requirements, and even create opportunities for new business models. The discussion also addresses the importance of water-based inks, food packaging requirements, and the ability to handle short, medium, and longer production runs.
With Quantum Flex Pack serving as an important early US customer and European installations helping demonstrate the technology’s potential, Fujifilm is now expanding its presence in the American flexible packaging market.
An interesting conversation about why digital transformation in packaging is not necessarily about replacing existing technology, but about improving profitability, increasing flexibility, and giving converters new opportunities to grow.
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Mon October 19th
Virag Patel 路 ePac & Fujifilm FP790: Expandi...
At PACK EXPO in Chicago, INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft meets Virag Patel, Co-Founder and CEO of ePac Flexible Packaging, following the announcement of a global strategic partnership with Fujifilm and the introduction of the Jet Press FP790 into ePac's production platform. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, ePac has grown from a single facility in Madison, Wisconsin, into an international digital flexible packaging company. Patel reflects on the journey, the importance of taking risks, and how a willingness to experiment with new technologies has become an essential part of ePac's culture. Innovation sometimes involves failure, but according to Patel, learning from those experiences is what allows a company to continue growing. The decision to invest in Fujifilm's FP790 follows nearly two years of evaluation and represents an expansion rather than a replacement of ePac's existing HP Indigo technology. Patel explains why having multiple technologies available creates opportunities to serve different market segments, support customers as their businesses grow, and explore applications that were previously outside ePac's reach. The conversation also addresses the majority investment by Butterfly Equity and how access to capital, combined with financial discipline, can support the company's next phase of expansion. Equally important is ePac's highly automated workflow and scalable production model, which have enabled the business to serve thousands of customers across different geographical markets. Looking ahead, Patel sees opportunities beyond ePac's traditional flexible packaging applications, including new product categories such as labels, sleeves, and other packaging formats. For him, printing technology is ultimately a vehicle for reaching new markets, rather than an end in itself. An interesting conversation about entrepreneurship, calculated risks, strategic partnerships, and why ePac believes the next decade could offer even greater opportunities than the first.