Bay Cities
Bay Cities is a 70-year-old, 100% employee-owned vertically integrated custom packaging and retail display manufacturer in Pico Rivera, CA, serving CPG, consumer electronics, and beverage brands through major national retailers including Walmart, Costco, Target, Sam's Club, and Lowe's.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1956
- HeadquartersPico Rivera, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Bay Cities does
Bay Cities is a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) custom packaging and retail display manufacturer founded in 1956 and headquartered in Pico Rivera, California. The company designs, manufactures, and delivers corrugated and paperboard packaging, point-of-purchase displays, industrial packaging, e-commerce and subscription packaging, and specialty beverage packaging for enterprise CPG brands, consumer electronics companies, beverage producers, and direct-to-consumer sellers. Its core product categories are Custom Retail Displays (endcaps, pallet, floor, PDQ, and WOW displays), Retail Packaging, Industrial Packaging, E-Commerce and Subscription Packaging, and Specialty Beverage Packaging, supported by sub-brands including Premier Packaging (acquired 2020), EcoVino sustainable wine packaging, and DIYpack.com.
The company operates a vertically integrated supply chain anchored by the wholly-owned ENCORR corrugator and ENCORR sheet feeder, which convert recycled paper into corrugate using steam-powered renewable energy sourced directly from the adjacent New Indy Paper Mill in a closed-loop arrangement that enables up to 99% post-consumer material input and zero direct greenhouse gas emissions from corrugator operations. Supporting capabilities include in-house CAD design, 3D modeling and virtual prototyping, G7-certified color management with a custom ink kitchen (water-based inks held to 1.5 Delta E), flexo, litho, and digital printing through Digital Print Partners, an ISTA-certified transit testing lab, and 648,000+ sq ft of packout and fulfillment space across California, Illinois, Ohio, and Arkansas, with a newly opened 233,119 sq ft BRCGS-certified facility in Oak Forest, Illinois.
Commercially, Bay Cities runs an enterprise field-sales go-to-market targeting major national retailers (Walmart, Costco, Target, Sam's Club, Lowe's, Best Buy, CVS, Walgreens) and the CPG/electronics brands that ship into them, with a dedicated Bentonville office supporting Walmart. Revenue is generated through project-based, quote-driven custom manufacturing contracts spanning design, prototyping, printing, testing, packout/kitting, and direct-to-retailer logistics, supplemented by multi-vendor retail display programs. The company holds preferred-vendor status with multiple Tier-1 retailers, maintains an 80% repeat-client rate, and reports 98.8% average on-time delivery. Recent leadership additions (COO Richard Khojayan in February 2026 and CRO Sahar Mehrabzadeh in March 2026, the latter formalizing a designated CEO succession path) and the Oak Forest expansion signal a scaling phase tied to upcoming Super Bowl LXI (2027) and LA28 Olympics (2028) retail activation opportunities.
Bay Cities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bay Cities
- Legal name
- Bay Cities Container Inc.
- Website
- https://bay-cities.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1956
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Bay Cities is a 70-year-old, 100% employee-owned vertically integrated custom packaging and retail display manufacturer in Pico Rivera, CA, serving CPG, consumer electronics, and beverage brands through major national retailers including Walmart, Costco, Target, Sam's Club, and Lowe's.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bay Cities industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Packaging and Retail Displays
- NAICS
- Packaging and Labeling Services (56191), Packaging and Labeling Services (561910)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Display & Retail-Ready Packaging (PDQ, Shelf-Ready, End-Caps) (TLAIAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Custom Engineered Transit Packaging & Packaging Design Services (IMALAFAM), Secondary & Multipack Packaging (IMALAHAB)
Keywords
Where Bay Cities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pico Rivera
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
Bay Cities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom Packaging Manufacturing: Design, manufacture, and deliver custom retail packaging, industrial packaging, and e-commerce packaging solutions with flexo, litho, and digital printing capabilities
- Custom Retail Displays: Design and manufacture of point-of-purchase displays including endcaps, floor displays, pallet displays, PDQ displays, and WOW displays for major retailers
- Packout and Logistics Services: Assembly, kitting, fulfillment, and logistics services including real-time tracking, with 648,000+ sq ft of combined packout space
- Multi-Vendor Retail Programs: Curated multi-vendor display programs where multiple brands share retail footprint with coordinated production, compliance, and distribution
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Bay Cities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bay Cities designs, manufactures, and delivers custom retail packaging, industrial packaging, e-commerce/subscription packaging, specialty beverage packaging, and point-of-purchase retail displays (endcaps, pallet displays, PDQ displays, WOW displays). The company is vertically integrated, owning the ENCORR corrugator and sheet feeder, and provides in-house concept/3D design, G7-certified printing, ISTA-certified transit testing, and 560,000+ sq ft of packout/fulfillment with proprietary logistics software for major retailers including Walmart, Costco, Target, Sam's Club, and Lowe's.
Product overview
Bay Cities is a full-service custom packaging and retail display manufacturer offering end-to-end solutions from concept and design through manufacturing, testing, and logistics. The company's core product portfolio consists of five main categories: Custom Retail Displays (including endcaps, WOW displays, pallet displays, floor displays, and PDQ displays), Retail Packaging, Industrial Packaging, E-Commerce and Subscription Packaging, and Specialty Beverage Packaging. The company operates acquired subsidiary Premier Packaging for automatic cartoning and beverage variety pack rework, and offers EcoVino sustainable wine packaging as a sub-brand. Bay Cities maintains vertical integration through proprietary manufacturing operations including its Encorr corrugator and Lacorr sheet feeder, enabling control from paper mill to finished packaging.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EcoVino: Bay Cities' sustainable wine packaging solution engineered to cradle bottles and care for the planet.
- DIYpack.com
- Premier Packaging
Products and services
- Custom Retail Displays Eye-catching, branded in-store retail displays including endcaps, WOW displays, pallet displays, floor displays, PDQ displays, and side kick displays that engage shoppers and drive sales for brands and retailers.
- Retail Packaging Custom retail packaging that showcases brands and meets retailer requirements for Walmart, Target, Costco, and Kroger, designed to stand out and protect products.
- Industrial Packaging Industrial packaging engineered for strength and value, protecting products through shipping and storage, designed to ship flat for easy assembly via case erector or by hand.
- E-Commerce and Subscription Packaging Custom product packaging boxes for e-commerce and subscriptions with QR codes, AR-enhanced packaging, and premium designs for memorable unboxing experiences for DTC brands.
- Specialty Beverage Packaging Retail-ready beverage packaging solutions including wine shipping boxes, variety pack rework, gift sets, case stackers, and custom bundles for wine and specialty beverage brands.
- Premier Packaging Subsidiary acquired by Bay Cities providing automatic cartoning, variety pack rework, and gift set solutions for beverage brands, operating from Santa Fe Springs, CA.
- EcoVino Sustainable Wine Packaging Sustainable wine packaging solution engineered to cradle bottles and minimize environmental impact, part of Bay Cities' specialty beverage packaging offerings.
Quantifiable outcome
- 98.8% average on-time delivery rate
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Bay Cities
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Bay Cities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature13 records
Bay Cities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Paso Robles CAB CollectivecorePartnership to organize Paso Robles Wine Month launching nationally in May 2026, uniting wineries, retailers, and restaurants to reach Millennials and Gen Z through in-store activations and digital engagement.
- Logistics Property CompanysupportingDeveloped the new 233,119 sq ft Oak Forest facility for Bay Cities' Midwest packout and fulfillment operations with modern infrastructure including 20 dock doors and 100,000+ sq ft production area.
- New Indy Paper MillcoreClosed-loop partnership where old corrugated cartons are recycled into paper rolls at New Indy Paper Mill. Bay Cities' corrugator ENCORR is powered by steam from the mill, creating zero-emission energy. Up to 99% post-consumer content is used to make new paper.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Bay Cities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Menasha Corporation: Menasha's Retail Solutions Group designs and manufactures in-store retail displays, point-of-purchase signage, and custom packaging for major CPG brands and retailers, making it one of the closest direct competitors to Bay Cities' display and packaging business.
- Pratt Industries: US-focused, vertically integrated 100% recycled corrugated packaging manufacturer with strong retail and CPG relationships; directly comparable to Bay Cities' corrugator-driven, sustainability-led model.
- Innomark Communications: Specialty in-store marketing and POP display provider serving enterprise brands with custom displays, signage, and packaging — a focused peer in the custom retail display segment Bay Cities targets.
- JH Bennett: Mid-sized custom retail display and POP manufacturer serving major US retailers and CPG brands; a comparable size and scope competitor in the custom-display niche.
- Diamond Packaging: US-based manufacturer of luxury folding cartons, rigid boxes, and specialty packaging for cosmetics, beverages, and consumer electronics brands — comparable to Bay Cities' specialty beverage and retail packaging lines.
Broad incumbents
- Smurfit Westrock: Formed by the merger of WestRock and Smurfit Kappa, the combined company is the world's largest paper and packaging producer with significant corrugated, containerboard, and display operations globally; competes with Bay Cities at the enterprise CPG and retail display level.
- International Paper: One of the largest global producers of corrugated packaging and containerboard, serving major CPG and retail customers with both commodity and specialty packaging products across multiple geographies.
- Packaging Corporation of America: Major US producer of containerboard and corrugated packaging with broad product reach into retail and CPG customers; competes for large enterprise packaging programs similar to those Bay Cities serves.
- Sonoco Products Company: Diversified global packaging manufacturer with consumer packaging, industrial, and protective solutions serving CPG and retail customers, including display-adjacent offerings.
- Pactiv Evergreen: Large North American producer of food and beverage packaging, including cartons and specialty fiber-based products that overlap with Bay Cities' specialty beverage and variety-pack offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Bay Cities social profiles
Digital presenceBay Cities compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance14 records
Bay Cities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bay Cities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Bay Cities subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Bay Cities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bay Cities M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bay Cities
What does Bay Cities do?
Bay Cities designs, manufactures, and delivers custom retail packaging, industrial packaging, e-commerce/subscription packaging, specialty beverage packaging, and point-of-purchase retail displays (endcaps, pallet displays, PDQ displays, WOW displays). The company is vertically integrated, owning the ENCORR corrugator and sheet feeder, and provides in-house concept/3D design, G7-certified printing, ISTA-certified transit testing, and 560,000+ sq ft of packout/fulfillment with proprietary logistics software for major retailers including Walmart, Costco, Target, Sam's Club, and Lowe's.
Is Bay Cities a public or private company?
Bay Cities is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Bay Cities founded?
Bay Cities was founded in 1956. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Bay Cities based?
Bay Cities is headquartered in Pico Rivera, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bay Cities make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Custom Packaging Manufacturing is the primary driver. The others are custom Retail Displays, packout and Logistics Services and multi-Vendor Retail Programs.
Who are Bay Cities's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Menasha Corporation, Pratt Industries, Innomark Communications, JH Bennett and Diamond Packaging. Broad incumbents are Smurfit Westrock, International Paper, Packaging Corporation of America, Sonoco Products Company and Pactiv Evergreen.
Does Bay Cities have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bay Cities.
What industry is Bay Cities in?
Bay Cities's product category is Custom Packaging and Retail Displays. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAIAGAF, Display & Retail-Ready Packaging (PDQ, Shelf-Ready, End-Caps), with a secondary code of IMALAFAM, Custom Engineered Transit Packaging & Packaging Design Services. Its NAICS code is 56191.