CTS Industries

What CTS Industries does

CTS Industries is a privately held US manufacturer of high-performance ceramic anilox rollers and related consumables serving the narrow web flexographic printing industry. Founded in 1980 and headquartered at a single facility in Cedartown, Georgia, the company produces shafted anilox rollers, anilox sleeves, and custom engravings, alongside cleaning chemicals, protective covers, and storage carts. Its core technology centers on laser engraving of ceramic-coated rollers with precision held to 0.0001 inches, supporting an unusually wide capability range of 40-1800 LPI and 1.0-100 BCM. The company sells directly to converters, packaging printers, OEMs, and specialty coating operations in the United States via phone-based sales, an online Request a Quote form, and a network of regional account representatives who provide application engineering support such as LPI/BCM pairing and press troubleshooting.

The product portfolio is anchored by two branded roller lines — the lightweight Pro-Lite HD (63-76% lighter than conventional bases, 2-year warranty, re-engraving-friendly) and the heavy-duty Warrior Series for everyday press runs. These are differentiated by several proprietary technologies: P.A.R.T. Analysis, a micron-level certification of engraving specifications shipped with every roller; Talion Ceramic Coating, marketed as the longest-running and easiest-to-clean ceramic surface in the industry; EZ-View Pro, an on-roller laser-etched identification system standard on all shafted rollers; and exclusive Flo-Thru and V-Force engraving patterns for smoother laydown and specialty coatings applications. The Super Finish Center provides cylinder honing down to 0.02 microns.

The business model combines hardware sales (rollers, carts, covers, cleaning chemicals) with professional services (laser engraving, re-engraving, and the NEWLIFE cleaning service program). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, reflecting a sales-led, relationship-driven GTM rather than transactional e-commerce. The company is led by CEO Carol Mercer and President Jeff Collins, who also serves as CEO of RollerTec Inc., suggesting an affiliated operating group. No external investors, M&A activity, or public-market signals are present, and the company operates solely in the USA with a small, management/family-style ownership footprint.

Name

CTS Industries

Legal name

CTS Industries

Website

https://ctsindustries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CTS Industries is a privately held US manufacturer of high-performance ceramic anilox rollers, sleeves, and engraving services for the narrow web flexographic printing industry, primarily serving label converters, packaging printers, OEMs, and specialty coating operations in the United States from its single facility in Cedartown, Georgia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedartown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Anilox Roller Sales: Manufacture and sale of ceramic anilox rollers including shafted rollers, anilox sleeves, and custom engravings. Products are precision-engineered for narrow web printing with various patterns (60°, 30°, 45°, Tri-Helical, Flo-Thru).
2. Engraving and Re-engraving Services: Laser engraving and re-engraving services for anilox rollers. Engravings range from 40 LPI to 1800 LPI with volumes from 1.0 to 100 BCM.
3. Anilox Accessories and Cleaners: Sale of anilox cleaning products including Oil Flo 141, DeepWash LF-300, Quick Clean ceramic cleaner, and Performance Roller Covers.
4. Anilox Roller Carts: Manufacturing and sale of heavy-duty anilox roller carts built with angle iron, hospital-grade casters, and configurable storage for 30-70 anilox rollers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CTS Industries manufactures high-performance ceramic anilox rollers, anilox sleeves, and custom laser engravings for the narrow web flexographic printing industry from its single Cedartown, Georgia facility. Core products include the lightweight Pro-Lite™ and heavy-duty Warrior™ roller lines, complemented by roller carts, protective covers, cleaning chemicals, and the NEWLIFE professional cleaning service. The company performs laser engraving and re-engraving from 40 to 1800 LPI with volumes from 1.0 to 100 BCM, certified through its proprietary P.A.R.T. Analysis.

Product overview

CTS Industries is a manufacturer of high-performance ceramic anilox rollers for the narrow web flexographic printing industry. The company operates a single-facility manufacturing operation, producing rollers from raw material to finished product in-house. The core product portfolio centers on two anilox roller lines: the lightweight Pro-Lite™ series for lighter-weight applications and the heavy-duty Warrior™ series for demanding press environments. Supporting these primary products are proprietary technologies including EZ-View Pro™ for on-roller laser identification, P.A.R.T. Analysis for quality certification, and Talion Ceramic Coating. The company also offers ancillary products including anilox carts for storage, roller covers for protection, and a complete line of cleaning products (Oil Flo 141, DeepWash LF-300, Quick Clean™) plus the NEWLIFE™ professional cleaning service. The Super Finish Center provides precision cylinder finishing services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pro-Lite HD: Lightweight anilox roller base, 63% to 76% lighter than conventional bases, with 2-year warranty.
• Warrior Series
• EZ View Pro
• Talion Ceramic Coating
• P.A.R.T. Analysis
• Flo-Thru
• V-Force
• New Life Cleaning
• DeepWash LF-300
• Quick Clean
• Oil Flo 141
• Super Finish Center

Products and services

• Pro-Lite™ Anilox Roller

Quantifiable outcome

• Pro-Lite rollers are 63% to 76% lighter than conventional bases
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Flexo Concepts: Manufacturer of anilox cleaning products, doctor blades, and roller maintenance solutions for the flexographic industry. Direct overlap with CTS's cleaning product line (Oil Flo 141, DeepWash LF-300, Quick Clean) and NEWLIFE cleaning service.
• Rossini Group: Italian-based manufacturer of anilox rollers and sleeves for the flexographic and corrugated printing industries. Comparable in ceramic laser engraving technology and narrow web applications, though Europe-focused.
• Apex International: Manufacturer of anilox rollers, sleeves, and flexographic printing consumables. Direct competitor in laser-engraved ceramic rollers serving label and packaging converters, with comparable product breadth including engraving patterns and cleaning products.
• Pamarco: Global manufacturer of anilox rollers and sleeves for the flexographic industry. Overlaps with CTS on ceramic laser engraving, re-engraving services, and narrow web applications, with a much larger global footprint.
• Harper Corporation of America: One of the largest US-based anilox roller manufacturers and CTS's most direct competitor in laser-engraved ceramic rollers for flexographic printing. Highly comparable in product category, target customer (label and packaging converters), and technical capability.

Regional players

• Nilpeter: Danish manufacturer of narrow web flexographic and digital presses, primarily serving label converters in Europe and the Americas. Comparable customer base to CTS though based in a different geography and operating upstream in the press equipment layer.

Broad incumbents

• Mark Andy: Major manufacturer of narrow web flexographic presses and OEM equipment. Supplies the same label and packaging converters that CTS serves, and at times outfits new press lines with anilox rollers — adjacent role in the same value chain.
• Bunting Magnetics: Manufacturer of industrial magnetic solutions including printing industry components. Adjacent comparator within the flexographic printing supply chain serving similar OEM and converter customers.
• Flint Group: Global supplier of inks, coatings, and consumables for the printing and packaging industries. Broad incumbent operating across the same flexographic value chain as CTS, with overlapping customer base in narrow web converters.
• Esko: Danish-headquartered supplier of prepress, plate-making, and workflow software for flexographic and packaging printing. Operates in the same end-to-end flexographic value chain as CTS, though upstream in the production workflow.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/industriescts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 CTS Industries