Major Expansion for SMC Packaging

Original Article was Reprinted from from the November/December 2020 issue of Corrugated Today

Southern Missouri Containers, Inc. (SMC Packaging Group) is completing the final phase of a major expansion and relocation of its Springfield, Mo. operation, consolidating six facilities into two buildings and adding several pieces of high-speed converting equipment. Springfield is the flagship location of SMC Packaging Group, a closely held and employee owned corrugated company with 500 total employees and 326 in Springfield. Since its founding in 1972 SMC has grown to four locations across the Midwest, in Kansas City and Springfield, Mo., Conway, Ark., and Tulsa, Okla. (...) “As an independent we follow a pretty typical pattern in that we focus on the needs of the customer and making the sale before we plan how we are going to service them and produce the items in the most efficient manner for the long haul,” Kevin Ausburn, Chairman and CEO, says. “In short, we want to make sure the business is profitable and sustainable before we make significant capital investments for the long term. Thus, we tend to operate in space that may be less than desirable with equipment that is pushed to its limits before we make the jump to the next level of capabilities.” The two locations in Springfield – the original building at Belcrest Ave. and the new facility at Progress Place – are located about five miles apart. The new facility is 410,000 sq ft and sits on about 37 acres, allowing plenty of room for future expansion. Twenty dock doors, six rail dock doors, and two drive up ramps provide access to the building. There are eight machine centers, a maintenance shop, ink lab, sales and design center, and corporate office at this new location.

The relocation allowed for the addition of several new pieces of equipment, including a MarquipWardUnited 66- x 125-inch rotary diecutter and a MarquipWardUnited 66- x 125-inch flexo folder-gluer, both with top and bottom print stations. The six-color diecutter has four bottom and two top print units. (...) The three-color flexo folder-gluer has two bottom and one top print units.

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