Sumter Packaging has been in its current location since 1980 and has over 300,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space at its locations in the Southeast. The company’s roots in corrugated go back over 100 years and it has grown to be one of the largest independent corrugated packaging and display manufacturing companies in the region.
The company has a formidable presence in design and has won numerous awards for both graphic and structural design. The company serves a broad customer base which includes healthcare, food and beverage, beauty, electronics, retail, manufacturing, distribution, home improvement, military, consumer goods, automotive and entertainment. Customer size ranges from entrepreneurs to some of the largest retailers and manufacturers.
More Capacity
Sumter Packaging went through a lengthy evaluation phase, and after careful consideration, Göpfert became their desired supplier. There are many commonalities between the two companies – both are multi-generational family businesses, both focus on reliability, highest quality, service and perfectly trained employees. This was the beginning of a great partnership, characterised by trust and sympathy.
To prepare for the machine coming in, company management, maintenance and production teams did site visits to other plants running Göpfert machines in Europe and the United States. The company took a team to Germany in October 2022 to view final testing of the machine and to study German corrugated plants using Göpfert machines.
Approximately 30 sea containers worth of deliveries later, the Göpfert and its complement of equipment arrived in Sumter.
“The Göpfert is an incredibly well built machine. In my view, there is no better machine in the world for printing on corrugated and we are thrilled to be able to provide this level of quality for our customers,” said Benjamin DeSollar, CEO, Sumter Packaging.
In January 2023, the machine was assembled and commissioned at Sumter Packaging’s headquarters in South Carolina.
High Specification
The 16/28 Göpfert High Board Line machine is 66″ by 110¼” format and has seven infrared dryers with Auto-wash plate cleaner from JB Machinery. To achieve the highest quality, the Göpfert rotary die-cutter’s ink conditioning system is equipped with automatic temperature-, pH- and viscosity-control systems. In addition, the machine has vacuum transfer and uses a Register Control system to automatically adjust the board position as it moves through each print section of the machine to maintain tight registration.
Sumter Packaging’s Göpfert also comes equipped with a camera system and automated quality monitoring system that screens each piece and automatically ejects any product not meeting strict quality standards. For efficiency, the machine is outfitted with two bundle breakers and an inverter from Corrpal Systems, which is a subsidiary of Göpfert – this meant that Göpfert delivered the whole line as a full line supplier.
“During the installation of the new machine, the communication between the two companies was excellent, enabling the HBL to be quickly up and producing high quality boxes and displays,” continued DeSollar.
Martin Corall, Sales Director – USA, Göpfert, concluded, “The machine operators were well trained by Göpfert in all work processes and in breathtaking time, Sumter mastered all processes perfectly and was producing fine line screen high graphics products.”
