Rick Warther founded Vanguard ID Systems in 1987 to manufacture bar coded retail transaction cards. Today, the company is a pioneer and leader in the development of cards, key tags and labels for customer loyalty, membership, gift and debit programs and access control. Vanguard’s extensive product line incorporates bar code, magnetic stripe and RFID technologies.

Vanguard’s first facility was located in Exton, Pennsylvania. By 1996, the company had quadrupled in size. In 2001, Vanguard purchased its current 55,000-square-foot headquarters in West Chester, Pennsylvania. By keeping all manufacturing under one roof, Vanguard ensures consistent, superior quality.

In 1990, Vanguard received its first patent, U.S. Patent #4,978,146, for its unique bar code label manufacturing process. Since then, Vanguard has received numerous additional patents and awards for its proprietary processes and products.