When it comes to packaging, it’s one thing to innovate in your small corner, but quite another to actualize those ideas across the entire global field of delivering top products to the world. It takes a special company to do both.
Engage Technologies is the parent company of Squid Ink, which specializes in the manufacture of industrial inkjet printers and high quality inks; Eastey, a leading manufacturer and supplier of heavy-duty shrink packaging equipment and automated case-sealing systems; and American Film and Machinery (AFM), which provides reliable shrink sleeve labeling equipment, shrink sleeves, and tamper-evident bands.
Through these entities, Engage Technologies develops new products, solutions, and efficiencies for manufacturers everywhere with comprehensive packaging systems—which include coding and marking solutions for traceability, case sealing and shrink packaging equipment, shrink sleeve labeling solutions, and automation systems—that set the bar for technical, financial, and environmental performance.
Investing in success
Engage Technologies Corporation’s success is no lucky accident. Over the last decade, the company has more than doubled in size, capacity, and impact through strategic investments in its physical presence in Minnesota. With a new Eastey production facility in Big Lake Industrial Park, HVAC upgrades at its Brooklyn Park headquarters, and more than a million dollars of investment at its Squid Ink facility in the last six months alone, company leadership continues to identify ways to bolster capacity and streamline efficiency and throughput. “We’ve invested heavily in all of our plants, in particular our Squid Ink fluids production facility,” CEO David Mylrea shares.
Investments include a new pail filler to optimize efficiency across the ink manufacturing operation, as well as new forklifts and hydraulic pallet lifters. Additionally, a new ink mill for grinding pigments was a costly but value-rich investment. What used to take days is achieved in hours, yielding a more consistent quality and better pricing for customers, a win for everyone.
According to Chief Operating Officer Dan Pint, these improvements are the result of the Kaizens the company conducts yearly to identify process improvements, which also extend to customer service. “We did a big Kaizen on customer service last year, which helped identify several opportunities and improved our process there. So, it’s not just in the manufacturing area, but also in the office to help us improve efficiencies everywhere,” he says.
Further, Engage Technologies is investing in IT upgrades and training to improve operational efficiency across its footprint, identifying ways to integrate new technologies and automation into its facilities.
“Bigger, faster, stronger”
To be sure, Mylrea and the team at Engage Technologies expect great things. “As technology evolves along with access to artificial intelligence, everybody’s looking for ways to be more efficient. ‘Bigger, faster, stronger’ not only speaks to the National Football League, but also the packaging industry,” he says. Big changes in next-generation printing and packaging systems are in the pipeline, he tells us, and October’s Pack Expo 2026 is sure to be action-packed.
Through its own feedback channels and trade shows such as Pack Expo, Engage Technologies monitors industry reaction to ensure that it meets market needs while remaining competitive with the best possible products and innovations at the best possible price. This is also true of the company’s commitment to the environment, such as its high-resolution printing system that can serve as a labeling replacement, effectively replacing the need for labels, adhesives, and other consumables by printing directly onto the surface, resulting in superior resolution and less environmental impact.
Engage Technologies is also navigating an increasingly complex market due to the imposition of tariffs, but thanks to extra inventory, strong relationships with suppliers, and new sourcing agreements, it has shouldered the brunt of the uncertainty so its customers don’t have to.
Raising the bar
Of course, product development is a continuing characteristic of Engage Technologies’ engineering, and its equipment is designed for efficiency and is built to last. “We’re always looking to develop and release new products,” says Chad Carney, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications. “Last year we released six new products—three packaging and three coding and marking products—and this fall, five new products.” The new releases included some real game changers for the industry.
One such innovation is Squid Ink’s CoPilot Max LT, which features a 2.8” print height per printhead and offers 360 dots per inch (DPI) resolution compared to the industry standard of 180, and does so at an impressive print speed of up to 440 feet per minute.
With oil, solvent, and UV ink capabilities and long throw capability up to 12 millimeters versus the industry standard of five millimeters or less, the design is such that it protects the printhead, compensates for poor material handling, and results in improved print quality, truly revolutionary for industrial ink jet printing which typically needs to be closer to the surface being printed on.
As Carney notes, “We’ve been able to integrate new technology that allows the user to print from up to a half inch away from the product, which is really revolutionary for an inkjet.” This helps manufacturers compensate for contingencies or imprecisions in their process while still achieving 360 DPI at up to 440 feet per minute.
Ribbons redundant
Similarly, Squid Ink’s SQ-UVT Laser Marking System has been designed to replace thermal transfer overprint (TTO) for flexible film and single-serve packaging. The laser marking system leaves a permanent mark without the need for consumables like ribbons, reducing the need for inventory orders and downtime for ribbon changes, breakage, and wrinkling, bringing lower ownership costs and optimized uptime.
Eastey’s ECB25A is another innovative product that will change the way Engage Technologies’ customers operate. With no tray or supportive material needed, this shrink-wrap bundling system for multi-packs of unsupported products helps to control weight, process, and costs. The ECB25A can wrap bundles up to 11” tall and 20” wide at up to 25 bundles per minute, thanks to a servo-controlled pusher and seal bar that enable precise movement and throughput.
“We’re using cutting-edge technology,” says Carney. “It has a large, full-color touchscreen with remote access, so if the user needs to troubleshoot it from afar, they can. We can actually dial into that system from our facility, if needed, or distributor service personnel can do that and help the client troubleshoot whatever they’re dealing with.”
Likewise, Eastey’s VSA1825 Auto L-Sealer/VST1710 tunnel for fully automated shrink wrapping can wrap and seal products up to 7” in height and with a seal area of 18 x 25”, running up to 35 products per minute. Available in painted or stainless steel base, it can be used for food applications and many others that require a simple setup and reliable throughput at a competitive price, making it a highly popular selection for manufacturers across sectors.
And finally, AFM’s latest AutoBandit and Manual Bandit systems round out Engage Technologies’ newest offerings. The automatic tamper band applicator replaces hand-applied pre-form bands using automatic or semi-automatic machines that can run up to 30 products per minute (depending on size).
Each of these unique products helps reduce labor and costs in terms of both time and consumables, with less inventory to maintain and greater productivity.
Best in class—and culture
Engage Technologies isn’t just best in class when it comes to its packaging solutions; it is best in culture, which has been validated time and again with the recognition of being named a Top Workplace in Minnesota for five consecutive years by the Star Tribune, based on employee feedback.
“We’re working really hard to improve this culture of not just serving customers, not just looking outward, but also looking within the company to see if there are things we can do internally to improve,” says Mylrea.
These accolades and internal efforts to boost the work environment through competitive wages, benefits packages, and a deeply rooted commitment to innovation help secure the top talent needed to drive the company’s activities, including those product development and process investments that test every boundary. From Carney’s perspective, there is a genuine pride in excellence that permeates the company: “We all know as employees that we can make an impact on the customer experience every day, and we all take pride in making that a positive experience.”
This also helps to position Engage Technologies as an employer of choice in a highly competitive talent market, able to attract the caliber of mechanical and electrical engineers and others who can help the company grow its product offerings and market penetration.
Looking ahead, it will likely be more of the same for Engage Technologies—more innovation and continued excellence, whether that be from a product development, performance, or service standpoint. In doing so, this company will continue to make its mark on the packaging industry.
