CTI Foods
CTI Foods is a US private custom food manufacturer operating six USDA-inspected plants that produce proteins, soups, sauces, sides, and the Liguria Italian meats brand for the nation's largest restaurant chains and B2B food customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersWilder, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CTI Foods does
CTI Foods is a privately held, US-based custom food manufacturer founded in 1986 and headquartered in Southlake, Texas. The company operates six USDA-inspected production facilities across Texas, Idaho, Iowa, California, and Kentucky, producing custom proteins, soups, sauces, sides, and beans for the nation's largest restaurant chains, B2B food manufacturers, foodservice distributors, and retailers. Its core competency combines culinary R&D with industrial-scale food processing, anchored by a Culinary Innovation Center staffed with classically trained chefs and food scientists who collaborate directly with customer marketing, culinary, and supply chain teams.
The business runs a contract-manufacturing model in which CTI develops proprietary recipes, formulations, and packaging for each client and produces them at scale across its national facility network. Differentiated production capabilities include flash freezing, specialty packaging, metal detection and X-ray scanning, real-time shop floor monitoring, and rapid microbiological testing. All facilities carry GFSI certification and reported top-tier 2023 audit ratings, with HACCP and PAACO humane handling protocols. The company owns the Liguria Foods sub-brand (acquired February 2016), which produces premium pepperoni, Italian deli meats, and pizza toppings using old-world recipes and proprietary redwood drying rooms.
Revenue is generated through B2B transaction fees on custom-manufactured product volumes; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. CTI distributes exclusively through direct enterprise sales and foodservice distributors within the United States. Notable leadership includes CEO & President Mike Buccheri and CFO & Executive Vice President Jeff Brock-Jones. The company has remained private throughout its history with no disclosed institutional ownership or parent company.
CTI Foods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CTI Foods
- Legal name
- CTI Foods, LLC
- Website
- https://ctifoods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- CTI Foods is a US private custom food manufacturer operating six USDA-inspected plants that produce proteins, soups, sauces, sides, and the Liguria Italian meats brand for the nation's largest restaurant chains and B2B food customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CTI Foods industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Food Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Food Manufacturing (311), Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing (311991)
- SIC
- Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cold Prepared Foods & Meal Components (Sides, Proteins, Family Meals) (CRAHAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cooked & RTE Processed Meats (Roasts, Meatloaf, Sliced RTE) (AFANAEAF), Prepared Meat & Seafood Entrées with Sides (Complete Meals) (AFANAFAI)
Keywords
Where CTI Foods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wilder
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
CTI Foods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom Food Manufacturing: CTI Foods generates revenue by manufacturing custom food products for restaurant chains, B2B manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. The company develops unique food products, menu concepts, and flavor delivery systems on a contract manufacturing basis, providing end-to-end solutions from product development through commercialization and delivery.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
CTI Foods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CTI Foods is a U.S. custom food manufacturer that develops and produces proteins, soups, sauces, sides, beans, and Italian specialty meats for the country's largest restaurant chains and B2B manufacturers. Operating six USDA-inspected production facilities nationwide, the company partners directly with clients' marketing, culinary, and supply chain teams to take products from concept through commercialization. It also owns the Liguria brand of premium pepperoni, deli meats, and pizza toppings.
Product overview
CTI Foods operates as a custom food manufacturing company offering a portfolio of products across two main brands: its core CTI Foods Custom Foods division (providing custom proteins, artisan soups & sauces, and sides & beans manufactured at six US facilities) and the acquired Liguria Foods sub-brand (premium pepperoni, deli meats, and pizza toppings made using old-world Italian recipes with traditional production methods including redwood drying rooms). The company serves major restaurant chains, B2B manufacturers, distributors, and retailers with custom-crafted, culinary-influenced food products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Liguria Foods: Premium quality meat toppings brand specializing in pepperoni, Genoa salami, hard salami, and Italian specialty meats for foodservice, pizzerias, and sandwich shops. Founded in 1974, acquired by CTI Foods in February 2016.
- Liguria Family of Flavors
- Liguria All-Natural
- Liguria Specialty Pepperoni
- Liguria Pizza Toppings
- Liguria Deli Meats
Quantifiable outcome
- Top audit ratings in 2023
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use CTI Foods
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CTI Foods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
CTI Foods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- MidAmerican Energy CompanyminorPartnership for sustainable manufacturing operations. MidAmerican Energy Company is one of the largest producers of power through renewable resources, with wind energy accounting for about 40% of their power capacity. CTI Foods works with them on energy-saving innovations as part of their sustainability initiatives.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CTI Foods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bellisio Foods: Private contract food manufacturer producing frozen entrees, sauces, and proteins for top QSR and retail brands. Closely comparable business model — custom B2B manufacturing for major restaurant chains.
- Advanced Food Products: Private, specialty contract food manufacturer producing prepared entrées, sauces, and protein products for foodservice and retail customers — directly comparable custom B2B model.
- Brakebush Brothers: Privately held, value-added protein manufacturer focused on fully cooked poultry and meat products for chain restaurants and foodservice — overlapping with CTI's custom cooked proteins.
- Windsor Foods: Custom food manufacturer specializing in ethnic and value-added frozen foods, sauces, and proteins for foodservice operators. Comparable as a custom B2B manufacturer targeting major chains.
Broad incumbents
- Tyson Foods: One of the world's largest protein producers with significant custom and prepared foods operations serving major QSR customers. Comparable as a custom/contract protein and prepared food manufacturer at much greater scale than CTI.
- Hormel Foods: Diversified protein and prepared foods manufacturer with foodservice and deli meat businesses (including pepperoni and Italian meats) that compete with both CTI's core proteins and the Liguria brand.
- Cargill: Global agribusiness and food ingredient giant with custom protein, sauces, and ingredient solutions serving major restaurant chains. Comparable across custom proteins, sauces, and ingredient customer segments.
- JBS USA: Major U.S. protein processor with foodservice and value-added prepared meat offerings, overlapping with CTI's custom cooked proteins and the Liguria pepperoni/salami portfolio.
- Conagra Brands: Large packaged food company with a significant foodservice arm producing sauces, sides, and proteins for major restaurant chains — directly comparable to CTI's soups, sauces, sides, and beans business.
- Mission Foods: Large-scale producer of tortillas and related foodservice products serving major QSR customers. Comparable as a custom B2B foodservice manufacturer with chain customer relationships, though in a different category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CTI Foods social profiles
Digital presenceCTI Foods compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
CTI Foods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CTI Foods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
CTI Foods subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
CTI Foods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CTI Foods 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 CTI Foods
What does CTI Foods do?
CTI Foods is a U.S. custom food manufacturer that develops and produces proteins, soups, sauces, sides, beans, and Italian specialty meats for the country's largest restaurant chains and B2B manufacturers. Operating six USDA-inspected production facilities nationwide, the company partners directly with clients' marketing, culinary, and supply chain teams to take products from concept through commercialization. It also owns the Liguria brand of premium pepperoni, deli meats, and pizza toppings.
Is CTI Foods a public or private company?
CTI Foods is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CTI Foods founded?
CTI Foods was founded in 1986. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is CTI Foods based?
CTI Foods is headquartered in Wilder, United States, in the North America region.
How does CTI Foods make money?
One revenue line is on record: custom Food Manufacturing.
Who are CTI Foods's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bellisio Foods, Advanced Food Products, Brakebush Brothers and Windsor Foods. Broad incumbents are Tyson Foods, Hormel Foods, Cargill, JBS USA, Conagra Brands and Mission Foods.
Does CTI Foods have an API?
No public API is recorded for CTI Foods.
What industry is CTI Foods in?
CTI Foods's product category is Custom Food Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAKAC, Cold Prepared Foods & Meal Components (Sides, Proteins, Family Meals), with a secondary code of AFANAEAF, Cooked & RTE Processed Meats (Roasts, Meatloaf, Sliced RTE). Its NAICS code is 311 and its SIC code is 2013.