Carris Reels

What Carris Reels does

Carris Reels, Inc. is a 100% employee-owned manufacturer of reels and packaging products serving the wire and cable industry, founded in 1951 in Rutland, Vermont, and now operating 15 manufacturing and distribution facilities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its product portfolio spans eight reel types — plywood, nailed wood, recycled, plastic, hardboard, metal-bound, hybrid, and stamped metal reels — plus accessories such as tubes and barrels, shipping cleats, caddies, wire ties, reel adaptors, and a Reel-in-a-Box packaging solution. Core technology includes wood milling, plastic injection molding and extrusion, metal stamping, tube-winding, and machining, with a documented three-point recycled-reel grading and refurbishment process that closes the loop with wire and cable customers.

Name

Carris Reels

Legal name

Carris Reels, Inc.

Website

https://carris.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Carris Reels is a 100% employee-owned manufacturer of wire and cable packaging reels — wood, plastic, metal, and hybrid — operating 15 facilities across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to serve wire and cable producers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Proctor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Reel Manufacturing and Sales: Manufacturing and selling wire and cable reels made from wood (plywood, nailed wood, hardboard), plastic, metal, and hybrid materials. Products sold directly to wire and cable manufacturers for packaging and transport.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Carris Reels manufactures and sells reels and packaging products for the wire and cable industry. The portfolio includes plywood, nailed wood, plastic, hardboard, metal bound, hybrid, stamped metal, and recycled reels, plus accessories such as reel adaptors, tubes/barrels, shipping cleats, caddies, wire ties, and Reel-in-a-Box. Products are made from wood, plastic, metal, and hybrid materials and are sold B2B to wire and cable manufacturers across North America for packaging, transport, and storage of their products.

Product overview

Carris Reels is a manufacturer of reels and packaging products for the wire and cable industry. The company operates as a single unified product line centered on reels, supplemented by accessories and a web-based capacity calculator tool. The core product portfolio includes eight distinct reel types: Plywood Reels (with softwood and hardwood options), Nailed Wood Reels, Recycled Reels, Plastic Reels, Hardboard Reels, Metal Bound Reels, Hybrid Reels, and Stamped Metal Reels. These are complemented by six accessory product lines (Reel Adaptors, Tubes/Barrels, Shipping Cleats, Reel-in-a-Box, Caddies, Wire Ties) and an online Reel Capacity Calculator. The product architecture is modular, allowing customers to select reel types based on material (wood/plastic/hybrid/metal), weight capacity requirements, and application needs, with accessories enabling customization and the calculator supporting specification decisions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plywood Reels Wire and cable reels manufactured from plywood with softwood (Southern Yellow Pine) or hardwood (Baltic Birch) options. Softwood supports 450-750 lbs per 3/4 inch thickness, while hardwood supports 750-2,000 lbs. Sold to wire and cable manufacturers for packaging and transport of finished products.
• Nailed Wood Reels Durable wood reels using wooden staves for the strongest barrel option, capable of supporting significant weight and lasting outdoors for over ten years. Available in returnable and non-returnable configurations for wire and cable manufacturers.
• Recycled Reels Eco-friendly reel recycling program that collects, grades, repairs, repaints, and redistributes used wood and plastic reels. Suitable for closed-loop systems and reduces disposal costs for wire and cable manufacturers.
• Plastic Reels Plastic reels for wire and cable packaging including Utility Reels (HIPS/HDPE materials), Welding Wire Reels, Fine Wire Reels, and Magnet Wire Reels. Available in various diameters from 5 to 16 inches for wire and cable manufacturers.
• Hardboard Reels Reels with strong, dense, smooth flange surfaces suitable for welding wire, ground wire, fiber optics, fine drawn wire, and other lightweight applications. Custom borings and printing available for wire and cable manufacturers.
• Metal Bound Reels Reels with metal binding for enhanced durability and strength, combining wood construction with metal reinforcement for heavy-duty applications. Designed for wire and cable manufacturers requiring rugged packaging.
• Hybrid Reels Reels comprised of recycled polypropylene flanges, paper tubes, and metal bolts. Four flange diameters (10.5", 11.75", 13.5", 15.75") with varying traversed paper tubes for capacity flexibility. Compatible with Hall and Windak machines.
• Stamped Metal Reels Non-returnable lightweight packaging reels made from high-grade steel and tin plate using precision tools and dies. Designed for small put-ups of wire, rope, and chain.
• Reel Adaptors Plastic reel adaptors available in multiple models (#311C, #312, #316) with varying weights and quantities for compatibility with different reel configurations used by wire and cable manufacturers.
• Tubes/Barrels Paper tubes (4" to 12" diameter, 3" to 120" custom lengths), plastic tubes (2" to 5" diameter, 3" to 36" lengths), and plywood barrels (6mm to 9mm thickness) for various reel applications.
• Shipping Cleats Plastic shipping cleats designed to eliminate movement of boxes during shipment. Weight 0.0003 lbs, quantity 5,200 per box.
• Reel-in-a-Box Packaging solution combining reels with boxes for convenient shipping and storage of wire and cable products.
• Caddies Custom-molded plastic caddies from regrind polypropylene, available in 10", 11", and 12" sizes for easy reel handling and reuse.
• Wire Ties Wire product tie-offs designed not to damage wire insulation, allowing easy access for testing or de-reeling. Weight 0.0008 lbs, quantity 2,500 per box.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reusable reels last 5-10 uses depending on conditions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and supporting.

• Girls on the Run VermontminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 May 2019Presented as Presenting Sponsor for the Girls on the Run 2019 Central VT 5K at Castleton University. Supporting youth development programs in Vermont communities.
• The ESOP AssociationcoreOthersActive membership and leadership. Company CFO David Fitz-Gerald served as chair of The ESOP Association in 2017-2019 and was New England Chapter president 2009-2010. Company is a top-level donor to and supporter of the Employee Ownership Foundation.
• National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO)supportingOthersCompany utilizes NCEO survey services to continuously improve company culture and is a net promoter of the organization.
• Vermont Employee Ownership Center (VEOC)supportingOthersCompany is a past board member and actively participates in VEOC conferences. Delivered keynote speech at VEOC annual conference in 2017.
• Employee Ownership FoundationsupportingOthersCompany supports education and research activities at leadership level. Donates $10,000 per year to the foundation. Donation per employee-owner is among the highest in the employee ownership community.
• IWMAsupportingOthersIndustry membership organization for wire and cable industry.
• WCMAsupportingOthersIndustry membership organization for wire and cable manufacturers.
• WAI (Wire Association International)supportingOthersIndustry membership organization for wire and cable industry professionals.
• WIRETECHsupportingOthersIndustry technology and equipment organization for wire and cable industry.
• ABS Quality Evaluations, Inc.supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThird-party quality certification body that assessed Carris de Mexico and found conformance with ISO 9001:2015 requirements.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Conitex Sonoco: Conitex Sonoco is the most direct competitor to Carris Reels in manufacturing wire and cable reels — including plywood, nailed wood, plastic, hybrid, and metal reels — across North America. Operates as a joint venture focused exclusively on the same wire and cable packaging customers.
• IPL Global (IPL Plastics): IPL Plastics manufactures plastic reels, pallets, and specialty containers serving industrial, automotive, and consumer markets. Directly comparable to Carris's plastic reel product line and other molded plastic packaging offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Sonoco Products Company: Sonoco is a global packaging conglomerate and parent of Conitex Sonoco, which directly competes with Carris Reels in wire and cable reels. Sonoco's broader portfolio spans consumer and industrial packaging across many categories, giving it scale advantages over Carris in capital and cross-selling.
• Greif, Inc. Greif is a global industrial packaging manufacturer producing steel, plastic, and fiber drums, IBCs, and protective containers for industrial customers. Comparable to Carris as a broad-line industrial-packaging supplier serving similar B2B manufacturing customers across North America.
• Pregis LLC: Pregis manufactures protective packaging including paper, foam, and inflatable systems for industrial and e-commerce customers. Adjacent to Carris as another broad-line industrial protective packaging supplier competing for similar B2B customer packaging budgets.
• Sealed Air Corporation: Sealed Air manufactures protective packaging solutions — bubble, foam, paper-based cushioning — for industrial and e-commerce customers. Adjacent to Carris as a B2B industrial protective packaging supplier, though focused on different formats.
• Mauser Packaging Solutions: Mauser manufactures steel, plastic, and fiber packaging — drums, IBCs, and specialty containers — for industrial customers. Adjacent peer to Carris with similar B2B industrial packaging customers and a multi-material manufacturing footprint.
• Brambles Limited (CHEP): Brambles operates CHEP, the world's largest pooled pallet and reusable container platform serving industrial supply chains. Adjacent to Carris's recycled reel and returnable-reel programs as both pursue closed-loop, asset-pooling packaging models for industrial customers.
• Tosca (US): Tosca provides reusable plastic pallets, crates, and pooled-asset packaging for industrial and grocery supply chains. Adjacent to Carris's reusable reel and recycling programs as another pooling-and-recovery packaging business serving manufacturing customers.
• Packaging Corporation of America: PCA is a leading North American manufacturer of containerboard and corrugated paperboard packaging for industrial and consumer customers. Adjacent to Carris as a large-scale fiber-based industrial packaging producer using wood/paper inputs and serving similar B2B customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CarrisReels
• Facebookfacebook.com/CarrisReelsInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carris-reels-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Carris Reels