xpedx Opens New Package Design Center in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI, Ohio—xpedx, a business unit of International Paper and one of the largest distribution companies in North America, has expanded its North American network of package design with the opening of a new package design center in its Cincinnati location at 4510 Reading Road. The new package design center will allow xpedx to lower packaging costs for Cincinnati-area customers and increase their speed to market. xpedx is a business of International Paper.

“The key capability that we’re gaining with the Cincinnati package design center is increased speed to market for our customers in the Tri-State area,” said Chris Baum, xpedx’s general manager, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio Divisions. “Since xpedx is material neutral, we’re able manage the entire process from concept and design to assembly and delivery. As a sole source packaging supplier, we give our customers a simpler, faster path to bring their products to market.”

xpedx’s Cincinnati package design center will serve many food service and retail packaging customers in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. However, xpedx also has package design centers with additional areas of specialty nearby in Livonia, Mich., and Pittsburgh, Pa. The Cincinnati package design center can easily access automotive and manufacturing package design expertise from those centers, as well. Throughout North America, xpedx has a network of ten package design centers and teams of design experts in 12 additional markets.

“Package design offers the highest potential for creating value, cost savings, and sustainability because the design phase is first and affects everything else,” said John Perrin, vice president, Packaging, xpedx. “With this growing North American network, xpedx is able to help companies everywhere use package design to drive image, customer acceptance, profitability, and sustainability.”

The Cincinnati package design center features xpedx’s proprietary GlobalPKG software, which is Web-based packaging development and management technology that allows for specification management to take place at any of xpedx’s interconnected design centers in North America. The Cincinnati location also has ArtiosCAD, Kongsberg CAD, and a Gaynes Drop Tester.

“With these systems all in-house in Cincinnati, xpedx can quickly design, test, and produce packaging that reduces costs and drives profitability,” said Baum. “Customers can have all that work done in one place by the xpedx team, without having to coordinate multiple packaging vendors. Their products go to market faster with less cost.”