MSI Express

What MSI Express does

MSI Express, Inc. is a US-based contract manufacturing and packaging company headquartered in Portage, Indiana, formed in 2008 through the merger of Express Packaging (founded 1988) and Manufacturing Solutions International. The company operates 15-16 manufacturing facilities across six US states (Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Texas, and Louisiana), encompassing approximately 3 million square feet of production and warehousing space, and employs between 1,001 and 5,000 people. It serves primarily Fortune 500 and emerging consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies across food, beverage, vitamin/supplement, gummy, and pet food categories, with named enterprise customers including Crystal Light and PepsiCo. In March 2025, the company was acquired by Nonantum Capital Partners from HCI Equity Partners.

The company's core offering is a single-source contract manufacturing and packaging platform organized around seven capability areas: dry foods blending and packaging, liquid packaging and bottle filling, stick pack filling and packaging, vitamins and supplements packaging, gummy manufacturing and packaging, dry pet food packaging, and secondary packaging. MSI is the North American leader in stick pack solutions, producing over 2 billion stick packs annually, and has held this position since launching the first stick pack with Crystal Light in 2005. The technology stack is built around a 10-year Nulogy shop-floor software partnership deployed at every site, IoT-connected machinery, collaborative robotics (cobots) for end-of-line palletizing, vision-based quality inspection, EDI transaction support, real-time BI dashboards, and in-house equipment design and tooling capabilities that compress product commercialization timelines. Certifications include FDA registration, NSF GMP, SQF/GFSI, USDA (Grand Prairie), Kosher, Organic, Halal, Gluten-Free, and Non-GMO, enabling category-level qualification across regulated CPG end-markets.

MSI generates revenue through project-based, quote-driven contracts with CPG brands, priced on a per-project basis across run volumes, packaging formats, and customer specifications, typically structured as multi-year engagements. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales supported by major industry trade shows (Supply Side West, SNAXPO), a content marketing program, and direct customer quote requests through the website. The business model is asset-heavy industrial manufacturing, with margins and growth driven by capacity utilization across 16 facilities, category mix toward higher-value formats (stick packs, aseptic, gummies), and the company's ability to absorb new product commercialization faster than regional co-packers through its in-house engineering and digital infrastructure.

Name

MSI Express

Legal name

MSI Express, Inc.

Website

https://msiexpress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

MSI Express is a US-based contract manufacturer and packager for CPG brands, operating 16 facilities across six states with leadership in stick pack (2B+ annually), dry foods, liquid/aseptic, gummy, supplement, and pet food packaging.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Manufacturing and Packaging Services

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114), Packaging and Labeling Services (56191)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Beverages (2080), Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee & Tea Concentrates, Syrups & Extracts (CRADAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Soups, Broths & Meal Starters (CRADAAAF), Milk (Fluid & Shelf-Stable) (CRADACAA), Yogurt & Cultured Dairy (Yogurt, Kefir, Sour Cream, Cottage Cheese) (CRADACAB)

Keywords

• Contract packaging services
• Food contract manufacturing
• Stick pack packaging
• Co-manufacturing solutions
• CPG packaging services

Headquarters

HQ city

Portage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Manufacturing Services: MSI Express generates revenue through providing contract manufacturing and packaging services to CPG companies. Services are project-based with pricing typically quote-driven. Revenue comes from processing fees, packaging fees, and materials handling across various packaging formats including stick packs, bottles, pouches, canisters, and secondary packaging.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MSI Express provides single-source contract manufacturing and packaging services primarily to consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands across dry foods blending and packaging, liquid packaging and bottle filling, stick pack filling, vitamins and supplements packaging, gummy manufacturing, dry pet food packaging, and secondary packaging. The company operates 16 manufacturing facilities across six U.S. states (Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Texas, Louisiana) totaling approximately 3 million sq. ft., producing over 2 billion stick packs annually and serving Fortune 500 CPG companies and emerging brands.

Product overview

MSI Express is a single-source contract manufacturing and packaging company offering a comprehensive portfolio of services organized around seven core product areas: Dry Foods Blending and Packaging, Liquid Packaging and Bottle Filling, Stick Pack Filling and Packaging, Vitamins and Supplements Packaging, Gummy Manufacturing and Packaging, Dry Pet Food Packaging, and Secondary Packaging. The company operates 16 manufacturing facilities across six U.S. states with approximately 3,000,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing and warehousing space. Key sub-capabilities include aseptic processing, hot fill processing, cup filling, dry powder blending, canister packaging, microwavable bowls, pouching and bagging, and lid filling. Technology-enabled services include Nulogy shop floor software integration across all sites and EDI transaction capabilities for customer connectivity. The company specializes in bringing consumer packaged goods from concept to market through its in-house engineering, tooling capabilities, and commercialization process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dry Foods Blending and Packaging

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% efficiency gains for CPG companies with connected contract manufacturing facilities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ImbibecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2024Partnership with Imbibe, a trailblazer in product development and flavor innovation, to revolutionize the food and beverage industry by delivering exceptional flavors, unmatched insights, and comprehensive support to stick pack customers. Imbibe provides cutting-edge science, flavors, and formulation expertise.
• NulogycoreTechnology or Integration10-year partnership with Nulogy, the leading provider of software specifically designed for contract manufacturing and packaging shop floor. MSI operates Nulogy software at every site and recently partnered to continue building tools for MSIE's growing suite of capabilities.
• IRIS Factory AutomationcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for collaborative palletizing automation using the RPZ-10 system. IRIS provides full-service automation including designing, installing, and providing long-term support for the cobot palletizing system.
• Schneider ElectricminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for energy management services and carbon footprint reduction work. As part of the collaboration, Schneider Electric planted 50 trees on MSI Express's behalf as a symbol of their commitment to sustainability.
• Quincy RecycleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for recycling services including cardboard, drum waste, and mixed material recycling. Created innovative solution to recycle mixed polystyrene and foil materials from Hassia machine lid production, diverting waste from landfills.
• Glenwood AcademyminorOthersCommunity partnership with Glenwood Academy, an educational organization serving children from challenging situations. MSI Express has sponsored fund raising events since 2008 and raised over $750,000 in direct donations. 2025 fund drive goal is $125,000.
• Bigger TableminorOthersPartnership to fight food insecurity in Chicagoland area. MSI Express donated contract manufacturing and packaging services for plant-based chili and mac & cheese meals, resulting in over 750,000 meals delivered to food banks.
• Foundation for Strategic Sourcing (F4SS)minorOthersIndustry organization establishing forums for CPG/FMCG customers, manufacturers, and secondary packagers to share best practices towards creating industry standards for efficiency, quality, sustainability, and reduced supply chain costs.
• Chicagoland Food and Beverage NetworkminorOthersRegional food and beverage cluster organization charged with driving inclusive economic growth by bringing together the local food & beverage industry to collaborate on workforce development, food safety, innovation & technology, and business services.
• Contract Packaging AssociationminorOthersNational nonprofit trade organization for the contract packaging industry formed in 1992. Promotes the growth and welfare of member firms through industry exposure and programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Refresco: Refresco is the world's largest independent beverage bottler, providing contract manufacturing for juices, soft drinks, and other beverages across multiple continents. Its bottling, aseptic, and bag-in-box capabilities directly overlap with MSI's liquid packaging and bottle filling product line.
• Scholle IPN: Scholle IPN is a global leader in bag-in-box and pouch packaging solutions for food, beverage, and industrial liquids. Its aseptic bag-in-box and liquid packaging offerings directly overlap with MSI's liquid packaging and bottle filling capabilities.
• TreeHouse Foods: TreeHouse Foods is the largest private-label food and beverage manufacturer in North America, serving retail and foodservice customers across snacks, beverages, dry foods, and supplements. It is the most direct publicly traded analog to MSI's contract manufacturing and packaging model across overlapping product categories.
• Multi-Pack Solutions: Multi-Pack Solutions is a contract packaging provider specializing in variety packs, multi-packs, and promotional bundling for CPG brands. Its secondary packaging and kitting capabilities directly overlap with MSI's secondary packaging service line.
• MJS Packaging: MJS Packaging is a US-based contract packaging company providing filling, kitting, assembly, and secondary packaging services to CPG brands. It competes with MSI across secondary packaging and contract filling services for similar customer segments.
• FGF Brands: FGF Brands is a private-label bakery and snack contract manufacturer producing flatbreads, cookies, and bars for leading CPG brands and foodservice operators. It is comparable to MSI as a North American co-manufacturer serving major CPG customers with multi-format capabilities.
• Liquibox: Liquibox specializes in bag-in-box and flexible packaging solutions for liquids including juices, dairy, and plant-based beverages. Its liquid packaging focus makes it a direct competitor in the same liquid filling and bag-in-box segments served by MSI's Rosendale and Ripon facilities.
• PacMoore Products: PacMoore Products is a dry food contract manufacturer specializing in blending, spray drying, extrusion, and packaging for powders and cereals. MSI Express acquired PacMoore in October 2021, making it the closest historical peer for dry blending and powder packaging capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• McCain Foods: McCain Foods is a global leader in frozen food manufacturing and contract production for retail and foodservice. While much larger and frozen-focused, it competes for the same CPG contract manufacturing wallet and shares operational parallels in scale manufacturing and supply chain integration.
• Cargill: Cargill is one of the largest privately held food and agriculture companies, with significant contract manufacturing, ingredient processing, and food packaging capabilities globally. It serves many of the same CPG customers as MSI and represents both a partner and a competitor in food processing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/msi-express

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about MSI Express