Vibrant Graphics
6619 N. Sidney Place, Milwaukee
Industry: Digital printing
Innovation: Digital printing in an in-mold-labeling package application.
As the printing industry has evolved, so has Vibrant Graphics in Milwaukee. Vibrant Graphics has embraced innovation and used it as a driving factor for its business.
The driving factor in the company’s evolution was a capital equipment purchase of a digital press.
“Three years ago, we purchased an HP Indigo 4050 Digital Press,” said Vibrant Graphics president Mike Sewart.
As the company’s largest capital expenditure to date, the HP Indigo has enabled Vibrant Graphics to evolve from their first tabletop barcode printer to continue their digital printing on a state-of-the art machine.
Started by Sewart’s father in 1994 as Express Labels, and renamed Vibrant Graphics in 2006, the company has grown from a label supplier to a leading digital printer in the industry.
Today, Vibrant Graphics’ core competency is to provide its customers with digitally printed in-mold labels, printed on thin, unsupported film with laminated protection for appeal and durability.
In addition to being the first to offer laminated protection for labels printed on thin, unsupported films, the company pioneered the first use of digital printing as an IML packaging application, which is now implemented at multiple companies.
The innovation has gone beyond offering services to customers and provides cost savings to the organization.
“For us it (HP Indigo) has allowed us to reduce the amount of different source materials with our inventory, close to 100 types down to 20, and made our inventory more manageable,” Sewart added.
According to Sewart the company has gone after a lot of work on prototyping for large plastic injection molders.
“I am very proud where the organization has gone in the in-mold labeling industry. It is one with large growth,” Sewart said.
Vibrant Graphics is the only leading digital printer in the Milwaukee area to offer in-mold labeling printing capabilities. The company currently has eight employees and $1.5 million in revenue for 2009.
