About Vanguard ID Systems

Built on Decades of Expertise. Building What's Next.

For nearly 40 years, Vanguard has manufactured the cards, key tags, and RFID products that power identification, access, loyalty, and asset-tracking programs. Today, under the leadership of Jack Lewis, we're building on that foundation with a modern software mindset — investing in the technology, the people, and a deeper commitment to the partners we build alongside.

1987
Founded · Downingtown, PA
100%
U.S. Manufactured & Sourced
  UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP AS OF 2025 Jack & Ariel Lewis
WHO WE ARE TODAY

A specialized U.S. manufacturer of variable-data cards and custom RFID products.

From our facility in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, we design, print, encode, and finish the physical pieces that libraries, retailers, fitness operators, healthcare systems, and system integrators all rely on to attract, engage, identify, track, and serve.

CUSTOM PRINTING

Variable-Data
Cards & Tags

From library cards and loyalty programs to gift cards and durable key tags, our products are printed on Teslin with validated barcode sequencing and vivid graphics engineered to hold up through daily scans and handling.

DATA ENCODING

Custom RFID
Converting

UHF, HF, and NFC encoding across cards, labels, key fobs, badges, and specialty form factors. In-house proofing, data handling, variable encoding, custom file processing, and verified job reports.

PARTNERSHIP FOCUS

Built on
Long-Term Trust

From direct retailers, to libraries, to reseller partners and integrators, our goal is to be a good manufacturing partner. We offer white-label production, collaborative R&D, and an easy ordering experience.

U.S. SOURCED SUPPLY CHAIN

End-to-End Production
in Pennsylvania

U.S. based printing & manufacturing with design, encoding, printing, and fulfillment all handled in-house at our Downingtown facility.

HOW WE GOT HERE

From a print shop in 1987 to a modern RFID partner now.

The work has evolved alongside our customers — from commercial print, to barcoded key tags, to encoded RFID. Under new leadership, that craft is being carried forward, with renewed investment across every part of the operation.

1987
Founded as a print house in Downingtown, PA
Vanguard begins as a specialty printer of plastic cards, focused on retail and restaurant operators needing membership products to grow customer retention and program engagement.
1990s — 2000s
Barcoded key tags and variable data
Vanguard scales into national retailers and grocery operators, while developing an HP Indigo press operation and a capability for accurate variable data, sequencing, and finishing.
2005
Twenty years of RFID manufacturing
Vanguard expands into RFID — supplying branded tags for inventory, access, and asset tracking — emerging as a specialized RFID converter with UHF, HF, and NFC encoding.
2025 — Today
New leadership. New era.
Acquired by Jack and Ariel Lewis, Vanguard is investing in modern software, deeper integrations, long-term partner relationships, and a collaborative partnership mindset that makes us easy to work with at every stage.
THE TEAM RUNNING THE COMPANY TODAY

Leadership that executes like operators, thinks like technologists, and plans like strategists.

Jack Lewis
President & Owner

Jack Lewis

Make a great manufacturing business work like a modern platform.

Before acquiring Vanguard, Jack spent a decade building and leading cloud commercial software teams in the access control and identification space.

He brings that same lens to the press floor: pairing the manufacturing craft and customer service that built Vanguard with modern software, new tooling, and deeper investment in product development and the technology that connects every part of the operation.

Ariel Lewis
Brand & Strategy

Ariel Lewis

Build the brand, the team, and the systems that bring a modern Vanguard to life.

Ariel built her career in software development and business operations — implementing the systems that scale how companies grow through technology, process, and people.

As Chief of Staff, she leads Vanguard's sales and marketing, drives R&D and product strategy, and works alongside Jack and the leadership team to bring the company's strategic initiatives to life through modern systems, brand thinking, and the customer relationships at the heart of the company.

WHERE WE'RE HEADED

We're modernizing Vanguard around the operations and partnerships that have always defined us

An established U.S. manufacturer with deep commercial printing roots, specialized expertise, and the partnerships, people, systems, and processes that make Vanguard work.

→ 01

A modern manufacturer.

A company that's easy to order from, easy to scale with, and easy to depend on — with product applications across every part of the ecosystem we plug into, including RFID system integrators, POS platforms, and vertical-specific partners across libraries, gyms, retail, and healthcare.

→ 02

Reliable, specialized position.

Our strength is in quality, reliability, and the ability to handle technically demanding work, from RFID and variable data at scale to branded artwork and specialty form factors, built with the durability and consistency our partners rely on.

→ 03

Partnerships, not just orders.

Whether we're working directly with end customers or through resellers and integrators, the goal is long-term collaboration and a service experience our partners talk about. We pick up the phone, partner through project needs, and tackle technical challenges with joint R&D.

→ 04

Built on brand thinking, not commodity thinking.

We design for the brands we serve, customize for the customers they reach, and treat every product as a brand asset. Cards, key tags, and credentials are touchpoints that elevate our partners' programs and keep customers engaged with the brand.

Our Mission

To empower the organizations we serve—through quality printing, technical depth, and partnerships built to last.

We manufacture the cards, key tags, and RFID products our partners' programs depend on. The work matters because our customers' brands do.

Click here to get a quote
Scroll to Top