Propelis

What Propelis does

Propelis is a global brand and packaging services agency formed in May 2025 through the merger of SGS & Co (founded 1947) and SGK (founded 1953), bringing together 150+ years of combined legacy into a single ~$1 billion-revenue platform operating with 10,000 employees in 30+ countries. The company is organized as a family of specialist brands: SGX delivers packaging graphics production, flexo plates, rotogravure cylinders, and metal decorating; Marks operates as a unified Brand Creation Platform spanning creative, strategy, digital commerce, experiential marketing, engineering, and content production across 38 studios in 21 countries; Equator (a division of Marks) specializes in private label packaging design; Collide provides store signage, large format/digital printing, packaging mockups, fabrication, merchandising, and distribution; and 5Flow serves as the technology backbone, offering a cloud-smart platform integrating Wave (CaaS artwork workflow), Mediabox, Dragonfly, Photon, and Ai Lab for FMCG, pharma, retail, and printer clients.

The company serves more than 2,000 enterprise clients across CPG, retail/private label, food and beverage, printers, personal care, sports/entertainment, travel/hospitality, and technology verticals. Named enterprise customers include Heinz, Starbucks, Pringles (Kellogg's), Nestlé Purina, Alouette, Primo Brands, Aldi US, The Fresh Market, Co-op, Morrisons, Meijer, Lowe's, Sam's Club, Sobeys, and Albertsons. Revenue derives from three streams: professional services (creative, brand strategy, packaging design), packaging graphics and print solutions, and an emerging subscription/recurring technology stream through 5Flow, which serves 140+ customers and 130,000+ users with documented efficiency gains including 52% faster artwork turnaround.

Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with direct relationships, supplemented by sustained industry recognition (Vertex Agency of the Year for Equator six times including 2025 and 2026, 10 trophies plus 7 distinctions at PAC Global 2026, IMDPA Metal Decorator of the Year). Matthews International Corporation holds a preferred equity interest in Propelis, partially redeemed for $28 million in May 2026, indicating ongoing financial alignment between the joint venture partners following the formation of the entity. Leadership combines former SGK president Gary Kohl as CEO and former SGS & Co CEO Matt Gresge as Executive Chairman, supported by a formalized global leadership collective spanning Marks, SGX, Equator, 5Flow, and regional operations.

Name

Propelis

Legal name

Propelis

Website

https://propelis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Propelis is a global brand and packaging agency formed in 2025 through the merger of SGS & Co and SGK. With 10,000 employees across 30+ countries, it delivers creative, packaging, print, and technology-enabled services to over 2,000 enterprise clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Creative and Packaging Services

NAICS

Printing and Related Support Activities (323), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment (3555)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAHAM

Sustainable & Responsible Supply Chain (ESG, Scope 3)

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Operations & Supply Chain Consulting

Keywords

• Packaging design services
• Brand creative agency
• Packaging graphics production
• Private label branding
• Content workflow automation

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services Revenue: Revenue from creative services including strategy, digital commerce, experiential marketing, engineering, and creative content production through Marks and Equator brands. Services span brand strategy to activation across global markets.
2. Packaging Graphics and Print Solutions: Revenue from SGX brand offering packaging graphic production, flexo plate, rotogravure cylinder, and metal deco solutions. Includes print, fabrication, merchandising, and distribution through Collide brand.
3. Technology Solutions: Revenue from 5Flow technology platform and software solutions powering content and packaging workflows for clients. Platform supports over 140 global customers and 130,000 users.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Propelis is a next-generation global agency formed through the merger of SGS & Co and SGK in May 2025, providing integrated brand creative, packaging graphics production, print solutions, branded environments, and content production services. The company operates through specialist sub-brands—SGX (packaging graphics), Marks (creative platform), Equator (private label design), Collide (fabrication, print, merchandising), and 5Flow (technology platform for content and packaging automation)—serving CPG companies, retailers, and printers across 30+ countries.

Product overview

Propelis is a next-generation global agency formed through the merger of SGK and SGS & Co in May 2025. The company operates as a unified family of specialist brands delivering integrated solutions spanning creative, brand production, and technology. The portfolio includes: SGX for packaging graphic production (flexo plates, rotogravure cylinders, metal deco); Marks for brand creation and creative services; Equator for private label design; Collide for print, fabrication, and merchandising; and 5Flow as the technology platform powering content and packaging automation via its WAVE CaaS platform. The organization encompasses 10,000 employees in 30+ countries with nearly $1 billion in annual sales serving over 2,000 clients across CPG, food and beverage, retail, and other industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SGX: Industry-leading packaging graphic production, flexo plate, rotogravure cylinder, and metal deco solutions combining expertise of SGK and SGS & Co
• Marks
• Collide
• 5Flow
• Equator
• WAVE
• SGK Creative

Products and services

• SGX Industry-leading packaging graphic production offering flexo plate, rotogravure cylinder, and metal deco solutions combining expertise of SGK and SGS & Co. Serves brand owners, retailers, and printers with capabilities including up to 10-color plus varnish printing, multiple can sizes, and advanced plating and finishing.
• Marks Next-Gen Creative Platform delivering creative, strategy, digital commerce, experiential marketing, engineering, and creative content production. Connects 1,800+ creators across 21 countries and 38 studios and is supported by 5Flow technology and proprietary tools for brand creation and delivery.
• Equator Multi-disciplinary creative agency of brand strategists, researchers, designers, food stylists, photographers, and illustrators supporting retailers across multiple categories and continents with private label brand strategy, packaging design, and execution. A division of Marks.
• Collide Provider of store signage, large format, digital and sheetfed printing, packaging mockups, influencer kits, samples, fabrication, merchandising, and distribution services. Delivers high-impact, global solutions that help brands launch into the physical retail environment.
• 5Flow Unified cloud-smart platform for content and packaging automation and workflows, supporting 140+ global customers and 130,000+ users with up to 52% faster artwork turnaround times. Powers content and packaging lifecycles for FMCGs, pharma, retailers, and printers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 52% faster artwork turnaround times through 5Flow WAVE platform
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Accenture Song: Accenture Song is the experience and creative services arm of Accenture, offering brand creative, content production, and commerce services to global enterprises including CPGs. Like Propelis, it integrates creative, technology, and operations at scale, but operates as a much broader portfolio within Accenture rather than specializing in packaging graphics.
• Publicis Groupe: Publicis Groupe is a global advertising holding company with creative networks (Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis Worldwide) and production capabilities serving the same CPG and retail clients as Propelis. It competes as a full-service incumbent with much broader scope than Propelis's packaging-focused offering.
• WPP: WPP is the world's largest advertising holding company, owning Ogilvy, VMLY&R, GroupM, and Landor & Fitch, and serving global CPG and retail clients with creative, media, and production services. It competes with Propelis across brand creation, packaging design, and content production at the holding-company level.
• Omnicom Group: Omnicom Group is a global advertising holding company whose networks (BBDO, DDB, TBWA) and production agencies (eg Margeotes/Fertitta) serve the same CPG and retail client base as Propelis. It is a broader-scale incumbent offering overlapping creative and packaging production services.
• Dentsu: Dentsu is a global advertising and communications group operating creative, media, and customer experience networks serving global CPG and retail brands. It competes with Propelis as a broad incumbent offering integrated creative and content solutions at much greater scale than Propelis's packaging-focused portfolio.
• Interpublic Group: Interpublic Group is a global advertising holding company whose networks (McCann, MullenLowe, IPG Mediabrands) provide creative and production services to large CPG and retail clients. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities to Propelis across creative and content production.

Direct peers

• Landor & Fitch: Landor & Fitch (part of WPP) is a global branding and design consultancy specializing in brand strategy, identity, and packaging design for consumer brands. It competes directly with Propelis's Marks and Equator brands in private-label and CPG packaging design engagements.
• Pearlfisher: Pearlfisher is an independent branding and packaging design agency with studios in London, New York, and Copenhagen, focused on brand creation and packaging design for FMCG and premium food/beverage clients. It directly competes with Equator and Marks in private-label and CPG packaging design.
• Bulletproof: Bulletproof is an independent brand-led packaging and design agency operating globally with offices in New York, London, and Singapore, serving CPG and food/beverage clients. It competes head-to-head with Propelis's Marks/Equator and SGX in branded packaging design and execution.

Emerging players

• Esko (Productivity Software): Esko, a Danaher company, provides packaging management software, artwork workflow, and prepress tools used by CPGs, retailers, and converters globally. It is an emerging/indirect competitor in the packaging workflow automation space where Propelis's 5Flow WAVE platform operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/propelisgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Propelis