What Contract Packaging Association does

Contract Packaging Association (CPA), legally incorporated in Virginia and headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1992 that operates as the primary intermediary between contract packagers and contract manufacturers on one side and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands and retailers on the other. The association serves both sides of the market through a unified platform comprising a national searchable Member Directory, the Midwest Directory (in partnership with the Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network, covering MI, WI, IN, IL, and MO), and an automated Request for Quote (RFQ) Tool that dispatches project submissions to matching CPA or ECPA members and typically returns responses within 5-7 days. Beyond directory and matching services, CPA operates the External Manufacturing Library (educational content for brands new to outsourcing production), the Contract Manufacturing Alliance (a convening initiative spanning trade associations, ingredient companies, packaging companies, food scientists, incubators, funding groups, and retailers), an annual ENGAGE conference, ongoing webinars, and recognition programs including the Strategic Sourcing Award and CPA Hall of Fame. The technology underlying these services is a standard web platform with member login via GrowthZone, directory search, and form-based RFQ submission — there is no proprietary AI or algorithmic matching layer described in the source material.

CPA's revenue model combines recurring annual membership dues (from contract packagers, manufacturers, and industry partners) with annual sponsorships, supplemented by event revenue from ENGAGE and webinars and directory listing fees. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market motion is channel-partner-driven: CPA grows primarily by adding members to its directory and by sponsoring partner events, while serving CPG brands and emerging food brands through its brand/retailer resources and the External Manufacturing Library. Recent strategic activity — notably the July 2025 acquisition of the Foundation for Supply Chain Solutions — signals a measured broadening of scope beyond pure contract packaging into adjacent supply chain education and research, while partnerships with Co-Packing Network, CFBN, and PMMI deepen ecosystem reach.

Name

Contract Packaging Association

Legal name

Contract Packaging Association

Website

https://contractpackaging.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Contract Packaging Association is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1992 that connects contract packagers and manufacturers with CPG brands and retailers through searchable directories, an automated RFQ matching tool, the External Manufacturing Library, the Contract Manufacturing Alliance, and the annual ENGAGE conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Herndon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Revenue generated through annual membership fees from contract packagers, manufacturers, and industry partners
2. Sponsorships: Annual sponsorships from industry partners and companies seeking visibility within the contract packaging industry

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Contract Packaging Association (CPA) is a membership-based nonprofit trade association that serves as the premier resource connecting contract packagers and manufacturers with consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands and retailers. It operates searchable member directories, an automated Request for Quote (RFQ) matching tool, an educational External Manufacturing Library, the Contract Manufacturing Alliance initiative, and flagship events such as ENGAGE to facilitate supplier discovery, sourcing, and industry networking.

Product overview

CPA, The Association for Contract Packagers and Manufacturers, is a membership-based trade association offering a unified platform of directory, matching, and educational services to connect consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands with contract packagers and manufacturers. The core offerings include the CPA Member Directory and Midwest Directory (searchable databases of vetted contract packaging companies), the Request for Quote (RFQ) Tool (automated project submission to matching members), the External Manufacturing Library (educational resources), the Contract Manufacturing Alliance initiative, and event programs including ENGAGE and Webinars. The association serves as the primary bridge between brands seeking external manufacturing partners and the contract packaging industry through these interconnected services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Contract Manufacturing Alliance: An initiative created by CPA and the Co-Packing Network to bring together Consumer Product Industry Groups for common collaborative goals.
• ENGAGE

Products and services

• CPA Member Directory A searchable online directory of CPA member companies allowing CPG brands, retailers, and other buyers to find contract packagers and manufacturers by capabilities, industries served, and location.
• Midwest Directory A regional member directory featuring CPA and Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network (CFBN) members in the Midwest region (MI, WI, IN, IL, MO), enabling localized supplier sourcing.
• Request for Quote (RFQ) Tool An automated online tool that allows brands to securely submit project details which are then dispatched to CPA or ECPA members whose capabilities match, with responses typically returned within 5-7 days.
• External Manufacturing Library A comprehensive educational resource library for brands new to external manufacturing, covering topics such as contract models, production challenges, food safety, regulatory compliance, and outsourcing strategies.
• Contract Manufacturing Alliance A collaborative initiative bringing together Consumer Product Industry Groups (trade associations, product developers, ingredient companies, packaging companies, food scientists, incubators, funding groups, brokers, retailers, food service customers, distributors) to help brands with their manufacturing needs.
• Commercial Kitchens Referral Network Referral to shared-use commercial kitchen facilities available for early-stage food product development, promoted through the Contract Manufacturing Alliance and commercialkitchens.org.
• CoPack Connect An online event calendar and member connection platform facilitating networking and collaboration within the contract packaging and manufacturing industry.
• ENGAGE - The Contract Packaging and Manufacturing Experience CPA's flagship annual event bringing together the contract packaging and manufacturing community for networking, education, and business development.
• Webinars and Virtual Events Online educational webinars and virtual events providing professional development and industry education for the contract packaging community.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Co-Packing NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPA and Co-Packing Network jointly created the Contract Manufacturing Alliance to bring together Consumer Product Industry Groups for common collaborative goals, helping brand groups with their manufacturing needs.
• Commercial KitchensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPA helped form the Contract Manufacturing Alliance which introduces commercial kitchens and other arms of manufacturing to those needing early stage development. Managed through commercialkitchens.org.
• Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network (CFBN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for the Midwest Directory featuring members of CPA and CFBN in the Midwest region (MI, WI, IN, IL, MO), providing expanded network access for member companies.
• PMMIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPMMI's business intelligence helps CPA members understand competitiveness in the packaging machinery market at all levels, from domestic to global.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Flexible Packaging Association: Flexible Packaging Association is a trade association representing manufacturers of flexible packaging, with a comparable member-directory, advocacy, and event-driven operating model that overlaps with CPA's contract packager constituency.
• Paperboard Packaging Council: Paperboard Packaging Council is a trade association for North American paperboard packaging manufacturers, operating a similar member-driven model of advocacy, education, and an annual convention that competes with CPA's ENGAGE for industry attention.
• Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP): IoPP is a professional membership association for individuals working in packaging, offering education, certification, and networking that directly parallels CPA's member-facing services. Both compete for the same packaging professional audience and address adjacent slices of the industry.
• Co-Packing Network: Co-Packing Network is the closest direct peer, running a directory and community for co-packers and jointly creating the Contract Manufacturing Alliance with CPA. The two organizations serve overlapping member audiences and coordinate rather than compete for strategic initiatives.

Broad incumbents

• PMMI - The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies: PMMI is the leading trade association for packaging and processing equipment manufacturers, with overlapping membership, shared events, and a formal partnership with CPA for packaging machinery market intelligence. It serves a broader equipment-focused remit versus CPA's contract packager focus.
• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): NAM is the largest U.S. manufacturing trade association, offering advocacy, events, and member services at a much broader scope. It is a high-level peer by business model but competes only indirectly with CPA's packaging-specific value proposition.

Regional players

• Glass Packaging Institute: Glass Packaging Institute represents North American glass container manufacturers, operating a membership association with advocacy and education programs analogous to CPA's, but focused on a single packaging substrate rather than contract services.
• Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network (CFBN): CFBN is a regional nonprofit serving food and beverage companies in the Chicago area and is a formal partner of CPA on the Midwest Directory. Its membership model and member services overlap with CPA's, but with a tighter geographic and food-only scope.

Emerging players

• Reusable Packaging Association (RPA): RPA is a smaller, niche trade association focused on reusable packaging systems, sharing CPA's association model but addressing a sustainability-focused subset of the packaging ecosystem rather than contract packaging services broadly.
• SNAP - Specialty Food Association: Specialty Food Association is a trade association for specialty food makers and buyers, operating member services, education, and a major trade show analogous to ENGAGE. It serves a food-specific constituency that overlaps with CPA's emerging-brand pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/cpachannel1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/contractpackagingassociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/contractpackagingassociation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Contract Packaging Association