CAI

What CAI does

CAI Inc. is a multi-generational, family-owned manufacturer of flexographic and rotogravure printing inks and coatings, headquartered in Georgetown, Massachusetts, with additional production facilities in Rockingham, North Carolina, Prescott, Ontario, and Montreal, Quebec. The company was co-founded in 1985 by Vincent Sartorelli and his eldest son Michael Sartorelli, and currently operates with six Sartorelli brothers across executive, financial, manufacturing, and technical leadership roles. CAI's product portfolio spans five core lines: solvent-based inks (including the Thermoplast, Hercubond, and Gripflex families), water-based inks (the Aqua series for corrugated, envelope, gift wrap, paper towel, and film applications), UV-cured overprint varnishes (UVX series), specialty solvent-based products (Wraptite, SVSI Vinyl Inks, Pyrogen, Shieldflex, Hercuflex, Tuffcoat Lam, ADP Lam), and electron beam coatings (EBX series). These products serve commercial printers and converters producing flexible and paper packaging, labels, and specialized industrial applications on substrates including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, PVC, foils, and coated and uncoated papers.

The company's business model centers on direct, quote-based sales of custom-formulated inks and coatings to commercial printing customers across the United States and Canada, supported by a regional field sales organization with dedicated sales managers for each major territory and dedicated R&D and QC laboratories at each plant. CAI emphasizes same-day shipping, technical press-side assistance, custom color matching, and batch-to-batch uniformity as core differentiators. Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time product sales of physical ink and coating SKUs, with no subscription, licensing, or recurring service component disclosed. The company markets through industry trade publications (Paper and Packaging International, Ink World, Flexo Magazine), social media, its own website, and direct field sales engagement.

Operationally, CAI runs four manufacturing sites totaling more than 145,000 square feet, with an additional 77,000+ square foot expansion under construction at the Rockingham, NC facility. The company is privately held, has no external investors, and does not disclose financial results. The combination of family ownership, multi-plant North American footprint, broad application coverage, and ongoing capacity expansion indicates a stable, cash-funded industrial business rather than a venture-backed or technology-led enterprise.

Name

CAI

Legal name

CAI Inc.

Website

https://caiink.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CAI Inc. is a family-owned manufacturer of flexographic, rotogravure, UV, and electron beam inks and coatings, supplying commercial printers and packaging converters across the USA and Canada from four manufacturing facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Printing Inks and Coatings

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Label Stock, Inks, Coatings & Laminates (Materials Supply) (IMALAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Flexible Packaging Printing & Decoration (Flexo, Gravure, Digital, Cold Foil) (IMALABAM)

Keywords

• Flexographic inks
• Rotogravure inks
• Overprint varnishes
• Water-based coatings
• Packaging inks

Headquarters

HQ city

Georgetown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ink and Coating Products: CAI Inc. manufactures and sells a complete line of water-based and solvent-based Flexographic and Rotogravure ink systems, UV and EB-cured coatings, overprint varnishes, and base coats. The company generates revenue through direct product sales to commercial printers and packaging companies. Products are used for surface, lamination, oil resistant, heat resistant, weather resistant and shrink films, and home improvement products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CAI Inc. manufactures a complete line of water-based and solvent-based flexographic and rotogravure ink systems, plus UV and electron beam cured overprint varnishes and base coats, for use on polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, PVC, foils, and coated/uncoated papers. Products are sold to commercial printers and packaging converters through a direct field sales organization supported by four manufacturing facilities in the USA and Canada, with technical press-side assistance and custom color matching.

Product overview

CAI Inc. is a multi-generational family-owned manufacturer of printing inks and coatings headquartered in Georgetown, Massachusetts. The company offers a complete portfolio of flexographic and rotogravure ink systems categorized into five main product lines: Solvent Based (including Thermoplast™, Hercubond Lam™, Gripflex Lam™, NCF Process Inks, and the 03-6000 Series), Water Based (including Aqua-WR™, Aqua-GW™, Aqua-EV™, Aqua-CT™, Aqua-PT™, Aqua-FM™, Aqua-LM™, and EZ Care™ pH Stable), UV Coatings (UVX Series Gloss, Exterior Gloss, and Matte OPV), Specialty Solvent Based (including Wraptite™, SVSI Vinyl Inks™, Pyrogen™, Shieldflex™, Hercuflex™, Tuffcoat Lam, and ADP Lam™), and Electron Beam Coatings (EBX Series Gloss, Exterior Gloss, and Matte OPV). These products serve the flexible and paper packaging industry, construction applications, and various industrial printing needs across polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, PVC, foils, and coated/uncoated papers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wraptite: Shrinkwrapping for Bottles and Containers, Specialty Coatings
• SVSI Vinyl Inks
• Pyrogen
• Shieldflex
• Hercuflex
• Tuffcoat Lam
• ADP Lam
• Aqua-WR
• Aqua-GW
• Aqua-EV
• Aqua-CT
• Aqua-PT
• Aqua-FM
• Aqua-LM & Aqua-Securlam
• EZ Care pH Stable
• 03-6000 Series
• Thermoplast Process
• Soil
• Hercubond Lam
• Hercubond Surface
• Gripflex Lam
• EBX Series
• UVX Series

Products and services

• Solvent-Based Flexographic and Rotogravure Inks A complete line of solvent-based flexographic and rotogravure ink systems for high-gloss film printing, surface printing, lamination, and process printing applications. Includes the 03-6000 Series (high gloss film printing for merchandise, boutique, bread, hosiery, ice, frozen foods), Thermoplast™ Process (surface inks for high quality process printing), Soil/Soil Tuff/Weathermaster™ (horticulture, insulation, salt, industrial bags), Thermoplast™ (moderate heat resistance 300-350°F), Hercubond Lam™ (adhesive lamination), Hercubond Surface™ (coffee and nut pouches, high heat resistance), Gripflex Lam™ (pasteurization lamination), and NCF (nitrocellulose-free) Process Inks. Used by commercial printers on polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, saran-coated films, PVC, foils, and coated/uncoated papers.
• Water-Based Flexographic and Rotogravure Inks A complete line of water-based ink systems for paper, paperboard, and film applications. Includes Aqua-WR™ 2 Pkg. (2-part system for outdoor applications), Aqua-GW™ (gift wrap, cartons, tissue, uncoated paper and foil), Aqua-EV™ (envelopes), Aqua-CT™ (corrugated boxes, paper bags, potato bags, tissue), Aqua-PT™ (paper towel and napkin), Aqua-FM™ (merchandise bags, t-shirt bags, produce bags, film), Aqua-LM™ & Aqua-Securlam (adhesive laminating films and tape), and EZ Care™ pH Stable (corrugated boxes, paper bags). Used by commercial printers for paper packaging, corrugated, tissue, envelopes, and selected film applications.
• UV-Cured Coatings (UVX Series) UV-cured overprint varnishes for label-based products. Includes UVX Series Gloss OPV (high gloss for label products), UVX Series Exterior Gloss OPV (exterior gloss with weathering properties), and UVX Series Matte OPV (very low gloss for label products). Used on labels for water bottles, wine bottles, candles, and other label-based applications.
• Electron Beam Cured Coatings (EBX Series) Electron beam cured overprint varnishes for label products and outdoor/industrial applications. Includes EBX Series Gloss OPV (high gloss for labels including water bottles, wine bottles, candles), EBX Series Exterior Gloss OPV (weathering, water resistance, and fade resistance for soil bags), and EBX Series Matte OPV (very low gloss for label-based products).
• Specialty Solvent-Based Inks and Coatings Specialty solvent-based products for niche applications requiring high-performance properties. Includes Wraptite™ (shrinkwrap coatings for bottles and containers), SVSI Vinyl Inks™ (gravure inks for PVC film and metal substrates such as pool liners and beverage enclosures with alcohol resistance), Pyrogen™ (inks for coffee and nuts with oil resistance), Shieldflex™ (heat and oil resistance for pet bedding), Hercuflex™ (high strength inks for foil, biscuit and juice containers), Tuffcoat Lam (lamination ink overprintable with EB coatings, lightfast colors for earth bags), and ADP Lam™ (adhesive for laminating films, printing tapes, security bags).

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Sun Chemical: World's largest producer of printing inks and pigments, supplying flexographic, gravure, offset, and digital inks to packaging, publication, and commercial print markets globally. Directly comparable product categories (flexo/gravure for packaging) but at vastly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Flint Group: Global supplier of inks, coatings, and pressroom chemistry for packaging (flexo, gravure) and commercial print. Comparable flexo/gravure portfolio for flexible packaging and labels, but with much broader global footprint and product breadth.
• Siegwerk: German-headquartered global provider of printing inks and coatings for packaging and labels, with strong presence in flexible packaging flexo and gravure. Closest direct competitor in CAI's core flexo/gravure packaging segment, operating at much larger global scale.
• INX International Ink Co. US-based subsidiary of Sakata INX manufacturing liquid inks and coatings for packaging, commercial, and digital print, with strong flexo/gravure ink lines for flexible packaging. Overlaps directly with CAI's flexographic and rotogravure product families.
• Sakata INX: Japanese parent of INX International, one of the top global printing ink producers with packaging, offset, and digital ink lines. Comparable broad flexo/gravure packaging ink portfolio at global scale.

Direct peers

• Wikoff Color Corporation: Privately held US specialty ink manufacturer founded in 1956, producing UV/EB, water-based, and solvent-based inks for packaging, label, and commercial print. Closest comparable mid-sized, family-influenced US private ink maker with similar custom-formulation orientation.
• Nazdar Ink Technologies: US-based manufacturer of specialty inks and coatings, including screen, flexo, and UV/EB inks for industrial and packaging applications. Comparable mid-sized specialty ink maker with similar custom-formulation and technical-service model.

Regional players

• Zeller+Gmelin: German family-owned manufacturer of printing inks, coatings, and specialty chemicals with strong European flexo/gravure packaging ink portfolio. Comparable as a privately held, multi-generational specialty ink maker, but primarily serving Europe rather than North America.
• RUCO Druckfarben: European (German) manufacturer of printing inks for packaging, label, and commercial screen/industrial printing, including UV and specialty inks. Comparable mid-sized specialty ink producer with similar product mix but primarily serving European customers.

Emerging players

• ACTEGA (Division of ALTANA): Specialty coatings, inks, and adhesives supplier focused on packaging (flexible packaging, labels, folding cartons) and printing industries under ALTANA. Comparable as a supplier of coatings and inks into the same flexible packaging and label markets CAI serves, though more focused on coatings than inks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61587549295282
• LinkedInil.linkedin.com/company/wix-com?trk=public_jobs_topcard_logo
• Instagraminstagram.com/caiinks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 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 CAI