Elisha Tropper

The role of digital printing is starting to take shape in the package-printing industry. by Tom Polischuk, editor-in-chief DIGITAL PRINTING FOR packaging is out of the starting blocks. It's new; it's exciting; it's expensive; and it's here to stay. As with any new technology, some are jumping in and some are watching from the sidelines, waiting to see if it's right for them. Kevin Karstedt, president of Karstedt Associates, a consulting firm for the consumer product and package-printing industries, is in close touch with the movement of digital printing into packaging. He easily rattles off a number of recent installations including a range

ELISHA TROPPER, PRESIDENT of Prestige Label Co., Inc., must have been real busy over the last three years. Under his direction, the company's plant in Burgaw, N.C. has been completely retooled—from front to back. The three-year, $3 million capital program had three key objectives: upgrade capabilities, infrastructure, and capacity. When the Tropper-family-owned Central Financial Group purchased the company, the plant consisted of six flexo presses and two slitter/rewinders. In addition, the plant produced flexo plates using a 25-year-old DuPont platemaking technology that consisted of step-and-repeat machines with cameras and films developed in pans. Tropper and VP of Plant Operations Tim Keegan planned and