CTI Foods

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.

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

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

• Custom food manufacturing
• Contract food manufacturing
• Restaurant chain supplier
• Protein manufacturing
• Specialty meat production

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MidAmerican Energy CompanyminorOthers · 1 February 2016Partnership 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

Direct 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cti-foods

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 CTI Foods