Packaging’s Future Leaders Revealed In New Report BY GREG KISHBAUGH Packaging Innovations & Empack organizer Easyfairs UK has launched the Future Trailblazer Awards 2026 Report, a new publication recog- nizing the emerging professionals helping shape the future of packag- ing at a time of unprecedented industry transformation. The report celebrates this year’s Future Trailblazer Awards winners and finalists through interviews with emerging professionals, while also exploring the forces reshaping the sector, from Circular Economy legislation and material innovation to artificial intelligence, operational excellence, and the growing demand for specialist skills.
Superior Tape & Label Expands With Weigang
Superior Tape & Label, Gresham, Oregon, has expanded its production capacity with the installation of a third Weigang flexographic press, completing three identical installations within a 16-month period.
Superior Tape & Label specializes in pres- sure-sensitive labels and custom labels for a wide range of industries, including food and beverage, healthcare, industrial products and consumer goods. Out of the three presses at Superior Tape & Label, two presses feature 8-color flexog- raphic printing and one features a 10-color configuration. The presses also feature three die-cutting stations, positioning cold foil, inte- grated unwind/rewind systems with non-stop operation, multiple hot-air drying units and advanced converting capabilities designed to support efficient production of complex label applications. Rather than expanding with different equipment platforms, Superior Tape & Label chose to install the same Weigang configura- tion three times within a single year, highlight- ing the importance of production consistency, operational reliability and standardized work- flows as manufacturing capacity grows. According to Weigang, the installations re- flect a broader shift in equipment evaluation within mature label markets, where convert- ers increasingly prioritize overall production value, long-term operating stability and con- figuration flexibility alongside initial invest- ment considerations.
The Future Trailblazer Awards recognize professionals within the first 10 years of their packaging careers whose work is already mak- ing a measurable impact across design, manufacturing, sustainability, branding, operations and circularity. Rather than celebrating lifetime achievement, the awards spotlight the people helping shape the future of packaging today. “The packaging industry is evolving faster than ever before,” said Josh Brooks, Divisional Director – Packaging Portfolio at Easyfairs UK. “New regulations, changing consumer expectations and advances in technology are creating both challenges and opportunities, but the success of this transition will depend on the people driving it forward.
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