• Growing packaging market and the Mercosur agreement are driving investment
• Demand for sustainable packaging solutions continues to rise
• The company is presenting itself at trade shows in Brazil and Mexico as a full-service provider and end-to-end system integrator
• Further expansion of the existing sales and service network planned
Latin America is increasingly coming into focus as a growth region for the printing and packaging industry, alongside markets in Asia. With a population of around 670 million, the region is home to approximately eight percent of the world’s population, half of whom live in Mexico and Brazil alone—the two largest and most dynamic economies in the region. With projected gross domestic product (GDP) growth of around two and three percent, respectively, over the next few years, these countries are demonstrating stable economic development. Increasing prosperity, combined with a more urban lifestyle, is also driving up demand for printed packaging solutions. Growing consumer environmental awareness, government regulation, and industry initiatives are further fueling the trend toward more sustainable packaging made from cardboard or paper. Market analyses for the printing industry confirm that printed packaging will continue to grow on average by just under four percent across all segments through 2029. Industries such as food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and e-commerce are driving demand for printed packaging and labels. This increases the requirements for highly automated, integrated, and efficient print production. Consequently, print shops in the region are increasingly turning to automated solutions and integrated systems for the entire value chain, thereby driving up demand for these solutions. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) provides such systems as a total solution provider and system integrator, further supporting this development. The company is already the market leader in the region’s key countries, with a market share of well over 50 percent in sheetfed offset printing presses.
“Latin America is a strategic growth region for HEIDELBERG, where we intend to further expand our already strong position. To this end, we will significantly strengthen our presence, particularly in Mexico and Brazil, and invest heavily in sales and service,” said Dr. David Schmedding, Executive Board Member for Technology & Sales at HEIDELBERG. “Demand for integrated production environments is rising and print shops are increasingly seeking comprehensive solutions from a single source. This is precisely where we come in as a system integrator with our end-to-end portfolio. Our goal is to support our customers along the entire value chain in packaging, label, and commercial printing, thereby further enhancing their competitiveness.”
HEIDELBERG as a system integrator for end-to-end solutions
Together with its subsidiary Gallus, HEIDELBERG offers an integrated portfolio for end-to-end production in packaging, label, and commercial printing. This includes offset, flexo, and digital printing systems, complemented by finishing, workflow software, consumables, and service. HEIDELBERG is represented in Brazil and Mexico with its own subsidiaries and over 200 sales and service employees, as well as through dealer organizations in other Latin American countries.
Taken together, HEIDELBERG supports its customers in the region with the industry’s most comprehensive sales and service network, in which the company continues to invest as the market grows. This comprehensive expertise enables customers to streamline their production processes and respond flexibly to the demands of growing packaging markets.
HEIDELBERG showcases hybrid solutions at Expoprint (Brazil) and Expográfica (Mexico) trade shows
By participating in Expoprint & Converflexo Latin America 2026 in Brazil and, in early May, at Expográfica in Mexico, HEIDELBERG underscores its leading role as a full-service provider and system integrator for printing technologies in the region. Expoprint, featuring more than 1,000 international brands and exhibitors, will take place from March 24 to 28 in São Paulo and expects more than 50,000 trade visitors. Under the motto “Bringing great stories to life,” visitors to the HEIDELBERG booth (Pavilion AZUL | Booth C-10-155) can see for themselves just how powerful and automated a Speedmaster XL 106 from the Peak Performance Generation is. They will also see the advantages of the Versafire LV digital printing system and gain an overview of the company’s entire service and lifecycle offerings. Both machines are integrated into a seamless Prinect workflow. In addition, the company will present its offerings for finishing in packaging and commercial printing, as well as for hybrid label printing in collaboration with Gallus.
At Expográfica, which features more than 250 exhibitors and takes place May 6–9 in Guadalajara, HEIDELBERG (Booth 1634) will present itself alongside finishing specialist Marbach Group as a system integrator for packaging printing. The focus of the trade show presentation is a Promatrix 106 CSB from HEIDELBERG partner MK Masterwork for the highly automated embossing and die-cutting of folding cartons.
“HEIDELBERG’s presence at both events underscores the great importance of the entire region for HEIDELBERG. We have also noted that interest in both trade shows is particularly high this time around from other Latin American markets as well. We therefore anticipate well over 60,000 visitors in total at our booths at Expoprint and Expografica in Brazil and Mexico. The events also coincide with a phase in which the Mercosur trade agreement with the EU is opening up additional opportunities for growth and international networking,” Schmedding continued.