CanSource
CanSource, a TricorBraun subsidiary, supplies decorated aluminum beverage cans (digital, offset, sleeved, and brite) plus packaging accessories to craft breweries, wineries, distilleries, RTD brands, and national beverage programs across North America through an e-commerce platform with regional sales support.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLongmont, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CanSource does
CanSource is a North American supplier of decorated aluminum beverage cans and packaging accessories serving craft beverage brands, emerging startups, and established national programs. The company is a TricorBraun subsidiary formed through the 2025 combination of CanSource and Craft Beverage Warehouse (CBW), the latter founded in April 2020 by Kyle Stephens and Michael DeGrave in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a pandemic-era response to an aluminum can shortage that disproportionately affected small and mid-sized beverage producers.
The company's core technology is direct-to-can UV digital printing, which applies CMYK inks and varnish layers directly onto aluminum cans (including the neck) and cures them with UV light, eliminating labels or sleeves and preserving full aluminum recyclability. This digital process enables minimum order quantities as low as 9 tiers (3,501 standard / 4,554 sleek cans) versus manufacturer minimums of 250,000–1,000,000+, with 5-day sample turnaround and 20-day production lead times. CanSource offers four decoration methods — digitally printed, offset printed, sleeved, and brite cans — sourced primarily from Ball Corporation, alongside Ball can ends, PakTech recycled-HDPE carriers, and corrugated case trays.
The business model is e-commerce-first with login-gated pricing, supplemented by a national regional sales team (Cansultants) providing supply planning, decoration strategy, and inventory advisory. Revenue is generated unit-pricing on cans, ends, carriers, and trays plus ancillary fees (e.g., $25 per SKU sample fee, $100 color matching, $80 refundable dunnage deposit on can ends). Customers include craft breweries, wineries, distilleries, RTD and kombucha brands, and national accounts such as Stumptown Coffee, Island City Kombucha, and Precept Wine & Spirits. In 2022, the third year of operations, the company served 278 customers across 39 U.S. states plus Canada and printed 1,567,046 cans, before the 2025 combination with CanSource consolidated sourcing, manufacturing, and TricorBraun's broader packaging portfolio under a single platform.
CanSource firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CanSource
- Legal name
- Craft Beverage Warehouse LLC
- Website
- https://cansource.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- CanSource, a TricorBraun subsidiary, supplies decorated aluminum beverage cans (digital, offset, sleeved, and brite) plus packaging accessories to craft breweries, wineries, distilleries, RTD brands, and national beverage programs across North America through an e-commerce platform with regional sales support.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CanSource industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Beverage Can Packaging
- NAICS
- Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing (33243)
- SIC
- Metal Cans (3411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beverage Cans (Aluminum & Steel) (IMALADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Beverage Packaging (Bottles, Cans, Cartons, Kegs) (IMALAHAD)
Keywords
Where CanSource is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Longmont
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
CanSource business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Digitally Printed Cans: Custom decorated cans printed using direct-to-can UV digital printing. Offers fast turnaround, lower MOQs, and flexible runs for emerging and growing beverage brands.
- Offset Printed Cans: High-volume offset printed cans for brands with predictable demand and national distribution goals. Cost-efficient at higher volumes with forecast-driven production planning.
- Sleeved Cans: Sleeved beverage cans offering high-impact packaging without long production cycles. Ideal for intricate artwork, complex colors, or frequently evolving designs.
- Brite Cans: Stock/undecorated aluminum beverage cans (12oz Standard, 16oz Standard, 7.5oz Sleek, 12oz Sleek) sold by the pallet. Available only in listed quantities.
- Can Ends / Lids: Ball Corporation Large Opening Ends (LOE) with 10-state incision design. Available in Silver/Silver, Black/Black, and Gold/Gold finishes. Sold in sleeve or pallet quantities with refundable dunnage deposit.
- PakTech Can Carriers: Recyclable can handles made from 100% post-consumer recycled #2 HDPE. Available in QuadPak, 6Pak, QuadPak Sleek, and 6Pak Sleek configurations.
- Case Trays: 100% recyclable corrugated kraft trays with auto-locking design. Holds 24 standard beverage cans per flat. Available in Low Standard Rollover, Mid Standard Rollover, and Sleek Rollover options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Brite Cans sold by pallet quantities only — no breaking of pallets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Can Ends sold by sleeve or pallet |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Digitally Printed Cans — MOQ-based pricing (login required) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sample / Artwork Services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
CanSource product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CanSource supplies decorated aluminum beverage cans to beverage brands across North America through four decoration methods: digitally printed, offset printed, sleeved, and brite (undecorated) cans. As an authorized distributor of Ball Corporation cans and ends, combined with in-house direct-to-can UV digital printing capabilities, the company offers low minimum order quantities, fast turnaround, and complementary accessories such as can ends, PakTech carriers, and case trays via an e-commerce platform.
Product overview
CanSource provides aluminum beverage cans and packaging solutions through four primary decoration methods: Digitally Printed Cans (direct-to-can UV digital printing with low MOQs and fast turnaround), Offset Printed Cans (high-volume solution for national distribution), Sleeved Cans (flexible option for intricate artwork), and Brite Cans (stock Ball aluminum cans). The company also offers complementary accessories including Ball Corporation can ends, PakTech can carriers made from recycled plastic, and corrugated case trays. As an authorized distributor of Ball aluminum beverage cans backed by TricorBraun, the portfolio enables beverage brands from emerging startups to established national programs to source all canning needs through a unified platform with ecommerce ordering.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Craft Beverage Creative: In-house design team providing creative services for beverage packaging design and artwork.
Products and services
- Digitally Printed Cans Direct-to-can UV digital printing solution delivering premium graphics with lower minimum order quantities (as low as 9 tiers / ~3,501 standard cans) and faster production timelines, allowing beverage brands to produce smaller, flexible runs without excess inventory commitment. Supports printing on the neck of the can.
- Offset Printed Cans High-volume offset printing solution ideal for brands with predictable demand and national distribution goals, offering cost efficiency, color consistency, and production stability at scale.
- Sleeved Cans Sleeved beverage cans providing flexibility for intricate artwork, complex colors, and frequently evolving designs, offering high-impact packaging without committing to long production cycles.
- Brite Cans Stock aluminum cans from Ball Corporation available in standard and sleek sizes (12oz Standard, 16oz Standard, 7.5oz Sleek, 12oz Sleek), sold by the pallet in listed quantities, offering cost-effective solutions for brands not yet ready for digitally printed cans.
- Can Ends Ball Corporation Large Opening Ends (LOE) with 10-state incision design, available in Silver/Silver, Black/Black, and Gold/Gold finishes. Sold in sleeve or pallet quantities with refundable dunnage deposit.
- PakTech Can Carriers Recyclable can handles made from 100% post-consumer recycled #2 HDPE, available in QuadPak, 6Pak, QuadPak Sleek, and 6Pak Sleek configurations for standard and sleek cans.
- Case Trays 100% recyclable corrugated kraft trays with auto-locking design, holding 24 standard beverage cans per flat. Available in Low Standard Rollover, Mid Standard Rollover, and Sleek Rollover options.
Quantifiable outcome
- 278 customers served across 39 states plus Canada in 2022 (third year of operations)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CanSource
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CanSource technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
CanSource partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- TricorBrauncoreCanSource is a TricorBraun company. Formed through the combination of CanSource and Craft Beverage Warehouse in late 2025, operating as a unified team under the TricorBraun family. TricorBraun provides scale, supplier relationships, and operational infrastructure to the aluminum can business. Customers also gain access to wine bottles, spirits bottles, and flexible packaging within the broader TricorBraun portfolio.
- Ball CorporationcoreCanSource is an authorized distributor of Ball Corporation aluminum beverage cans and ends. Ball is the primary can and end manufacturer supplying CanSource's decorated can programs. CanSource supports Ball's contracted customers by serving the market that Ball cannot due to capacity constraints and high MOQ requirements.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CanSource competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- DrinkPAK: Large-scale beverage co-packer filling aluminum cans for emerging and established beverage brands. Adjacent peer in the aluminum beverage can ecosystem with overlapping craft and emerging-brand customer base, though focused on filling rather than can decoration.
- Orora Visual: Specialty packaging printer offering digital and conventional decoration on aluminum cans and bottles. Overlaps with CanSource in digital can decoration for craft beverage brands, though with a broader packaging portfolio.
Direct peers
- Keller Crescent: Independent can decorator offering digital and shrink-sleeve decoration services to beverage brands. Operates in the same low-MOQ decorated can space as CanSource with comparable customer segments.
- Niche Decorating Solutions: Independent decorator specializing in low-MOQ digital and screen printing on aluminum cans for craft beverage brands. Directly comparable to CanSource's Craft Beverage Warehouse operation, serving the same SMB craft beer and beverage segment.
Others
- TricorBraun: Global packaging distributor and CanSource's parent company following the 2025 combination. TricorBraun provides distribution infrastructure, supplier relationships, and adjacent packaging categories (wine bottles, spirits bottles, flexible packaging) that complement CanSource's aluminum can business.
- PakTech: Manufacturer of recycled plastic can carriers (QuadPak, 6Pak) distributed by CanSource as a complementary accessory. PakTech is a supplier and recycling partner rather than a direct competitor, but operates in the same craft beverage packaging ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- Ball Corporation: Global manufacturer of aluminum beverage cans and ends. Ball is both CanSource's primary supplier (authorized distributor relationship) and a potential competitor as it expands low-MOQ digital printing capacity to serve craft beverage customers directly.
- Crown Holdings: Global metal packaging giant producing aluminum and steel cans for beverage and food brands. Crown competes in the same low-MOQ digital decoration space and serves similar craft beverage customers through its global footprint.
- Ardagh Metal Packaging: Major global supplier of metal beverage cans with significant North American operations. Ardagh competes directly with CanSource in serving craft and emerging beverage brands with decorated cans and has invested in shorter-run digital capability.
Regional players
- Envases Group: Latin American metal packaging manufacturer expanding into the US market with aluminum can production. Adjacent competitor for emerging beverage brands seeking regional can decoration alternatives.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CanSource social profiles
Digital presenceCanSource financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CanSource leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
CanSource funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CanSource M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CanSource
What does CanSource do?
CanSource supplies decorated aluminum beverage cans to beverage brands across North America through four decoration methods: digitally printed, offset printed, sleeved, and brite (undecorated) cans. As an authorized distributor of Ball Corporation cans and ends, combined with in-house direct-to-can UV digital printing capabilities, the company offers low minimum order quantities, fast turnaround, and complementary accessories such as can ends, PakTech carriers, and case trays via an e-commerce platform.
Is CanSource a public or private company?
CanSource is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was CanSource founded?
CanSource was founded in 2020. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is CanSource based?
CanSource is headquartered in Longmont, United States, in the North America region.
How does CanSource make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Digitally Printed Cans are the primary driver. The others are offset Printed Cans, sleeved Cans, brite Cans, can Ends / Lids, pakTech Can Carriers and case Trays.
Who are CanSource's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are DrinkPAK and Orora Visual. Direct peers are Keller Crescent and Niche Decorating Solutions. Others are TricorBraun and PakTech. Broad incumbents are Ball Corporation, Crown Holdings and Ardagh Metal Packaging. Envases Group is listed as a regional player.
Does CanSource have an API?
No public API is recorded for CanSource.
What industry is CanSource in?
CanSource's product category is Beverage Can Packaging. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMALADAA, Beverage Cans (Aluminum & Steel), with a secondary code of IMALAHAD, Beverage Packaging (Bottles, Cans, Cartons, Kegs). Its NAICS code is 33243 and its SIC code is 3411.