The label and package printing industry received its first look at the new Bobst Atlanta Competence Center in Cumming, GA, USA, on April 16, 2024. The 28,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility is approximately five times larger than the previous demo center in Alpharetta, GA.

Bobst’s Atlanta Competence Center allows the company to showcase its flexo, digital, and all-in-one printing technologies for labels and flexible packaging. More than 250 customers, partners, and media journeyed to the new facility to receive a deep dive into label and flexible packaging technologies through live demonstrations, presentations from industry experts, and networking opportunities.

“This is a major milestone for Bobst North America,” said Jean-Pascal Bobst, CEO, Bobst. “Our decision to make this Competence Center here was based on our vision to shape the packaging world. To make this happen, you have to invest in application management, such as for labels, flexible packaging and folding cartons. We’re focused on bringing this vision to reality.”

For a slideshow of the event, click here.

Bobst’s new facility is dedicated to the promotion of the company’s four pillars: digitalization, automation, connectivity and sustainability. “We want to accompany the industry into this digital transformation, and for Bobst to serve as a solution provider to help the industry meet its requirements,” commented Bobst. “We’re focused on driving more digitalization, and this Competence Center is going to be a showcase of our equipment. We have a Technology Lounge to show clients how our vision becomes a reality. Bobst has a large portfolio that consists of more than 80 machines, and every machine is at a different stage in our digitalization journey.

“We really want to be very customer-centric in our approach to capture the needs of the market and prove we have a solution for all the industries that we serve,” added Bobst.

Bobst entered the label industry in 2017 and has experienced robust growth in that time. In the last seven years, Bobst has grown its label business from $13 million to more than $100 million. In the facility, the Bobst Digital Master 340 and Digital Expert 340 were on display. Attendees received live demonstrations and guided tours, focusing on the All-in-One machines.

“When we say ‘Simplifying Labels,’ we’re talking about the needs of the label industry,” explained Matteo Cardinotti, head of Narrow/Mid Web, Bobst. “We’re designing machines that are easier to be operated, more consistent due to automation, and another answer to quality control. We see a big driver of hybridization where you’re combing printing and converting, but it’s also automation and robotics. Our goal is to come up with a complete solution, and all of that is covered in the connectivity aspect. We guide companies to optimize production and drive their performance levels. From a trend perspective, it’s not just bundling, it’s bringing more value to the customer. And this is where we differentiate ourselves from our market companions.”


“One of our mottos is to do more with less,” added Emilio Corti, head of sales, Business Unit Sheet-fed, Bobst. “With the machines we have here, you don’t need two machines, you can run your jobs in one pass on one machine – which requires one person. And we all know how hard it is to find people today.”

In the Atlanta Competence Center, Bobst has prioritized space for collaboration with key industry partners. Avery Dennison, AV Flexologic, BST North America, Flexo Wash, Flint Group, Label Traxx, tesa tape and Sun Chemical are among the few suppliers that have been instrumental in Bobst’s label journey.

“No one has one solution, but we want to partner with our key suppliers to simplify the process, to have simple interfaces and connect all our clouds so the customer can optimize their production floor,” noted Bobst. “Technology will give us huge opportunities, and this is for the benefit of all. This was not possible 10 years ago.”

Connectivity is one of Bobst’s four pillars, which was highlighted on the facility tours. Bobst Connect is an all-in-one digital platform that enhances and improves packaging productivity, bringing together data and services in one connected and cohesive platform.

“Bobst Connect is the heartbeat of everything we do here,” stated Michael Cox, Competence Center manager, Bobst.