Chartpak

What Chartpak does

Chartpak, Inc. is a privately held American manufacturer and multi-brand owner of specialty art, craft, fine writing, and office products, headquartered in Leeds, Massachusetts, with additional operations in Florence, Massachusetts. The company operates a portfolio of 19-20 brands (including Grumbacher, Koh-I-Noor, Higgins, Clearprint, Fabriano, ADMarker, Molotow, Kuretake, Weber, and others) spanning approximately 11,000 individual SKUs across four market channels: fine art, craft and hobby, fine writing, and office products. Its in-house manufacturing capabilities cover paper converting, label converting, injection molding, pen production, color tube filling, ink production, die cutting and vinyl, and printing and silk screening, allowing it to control quality and cost across both proprietary and acquired brand lines.

The company generates revenue by manufacturing and selling physical art and creative products through four distribution channels: wholesale distribution, independent retail, big box chains, and a 24/7 direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at chartpakstore.com, with geographic reach across the United States and Canada. Its go-to-market combines traditional B2B2C distribution with a digital community layer via the thalo online artist platform (founded 2010) and active social media presence across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Customer segments are horizontal and fragmented, serving professional artists, students, hobbyists, and office buyers through its brand portfolio.

Founded in 1949 in Stamford, Connecticut and relocated to Leeds, Massachusetts in 1957, Chartpak has grown primarily through serial acquisition of legacy art material brands under the long-tenured leadership of President Steven W. Roth (since the 1990s), with notable acquisitions including Koh-I-Noor North America (1999), Frances Meyer (2003), Grumbacher/Crafthouse/Skilcraft (2006), Maco (2007), and a 2018 wave (Martin Universal Design, Borden & Riley, Weber), followed by the 2023 Kuretake partnership. The company is a private corporation with no parent company, no venture capital, and no public listing, supported by 150+ employees at its Western Massachusetts facilities.

Name

Chartpak

Legal name

Chartpak, Inc.

Website

https://chartpak.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chartpak is a privately held American manufacturer and multi-brand owner of specialty art, craft, fine writing, and office products, operating 19-20 legacy brands across approximately 11,000 SKUs through wholesale, retail, big box, and e-commerce channels serving artists, students, hobbyists, and offices in North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Supplies and Creative Products Manufacturing

NAICS

Stationery Product Manufacturing (32223), Converted Paper Product Manufacturing (3222), Printing (32311)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950), Wholesale-Paper & Paper Products (5110), Converted Paper & Paperboard Prods (No Contaners/Boxes) (2670)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRALABAG

Art & Drafting Supplies Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Office Supplies & Stationery Retail

SECONDARYIMAMAHAG

Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Paper & Forest Products/Converted Paper Products (Corrugated, Bags, Labels, Stationery)

SECONDARYIMAMAEAG

Colored, Art & Premium Paper Manufacturing

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Paper & Forest Products/Paper Manufacturing (Printing/Writing, Newsprint, Specialty)

SECONDARYCRAOALAH

Stationery, Writing Instruments & Paper Products Distribution

Consumer Products & Retail/Wholesale, Distribution & Category Management/Books, Office Supplies & Stationery Distribution

SECONDARYCRAFACAL

Office, Stationery & Craft Supplies DTC

Consumer Products & Retail/E-commerce & Marketplaces/Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Brand E-commerce

Keywords

• Art supplies manufacturing
• Fine art materials
• Craft and hobby products
• Fine writing instruments
• Office and label products

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Art and Creative Products Sales: Chartpak manufactures and distributes art materials, craft and hobby products, fine writing materials, and office products through multiple distribution channels including wholesale, retail, and e-commerce.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Chartpak manufactures, sources, and distributes a multi-brand portfolio of art materials, craft and hobby products, fine writing instruments, and office/labels products under 19-20 owned brands through wholesale, retail, big box, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce channels. Core in-house capabilities span paper converting, label converting, injection molding, pen production, color tube filling, ink production, die cutting and vinyl, and printing and silk screening, all performed primarily at facilities in Leeds and Florence, Massachusetts.

Product overview

Chartpak is a creative products company operating as a multi-brand portfolio with 19+ legacy brands spanning art materials, craft and hobby, fine writing, and office products. The portfolio includes both Chartpak's own manufactured products (paper converting, templates, graphic tapes, vinyl lettering) and acquired brands like Grumbacher (paints/brushes since 1905), Higgins Ink (drawing inks since 1880), Koh-I-Noor (drawing products since 1790), ADMarker (markers), Clearprint (vellum since 1933), and thalo (online artist community platform). Products serve four market channels: fine art, craft and hobby, fine writing, and office products. Many products are manufactured in the USA at Chartpak's facilities in Leeds and Florence, Massachusetts. The company also operates the Chartpak Store e-commerce platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ADMarker: American-made Art and Design Markers including the original xylene tri-nib marker and the alcohol-based twin tip Spectra AD Marker.
• Clearprint
• Frances Meyer
• Kilimanjaro
• Maco
• Skilcraft
• Martin Universal Design (MUD)
• Borden & Riley
• Crafthouse
• Grumbacher
• Koh-I-Noor
• Maruman
• thalo
• Zieler
• Fabriano
• Higgins
• Kuretake
• Molotow
• Weber

Products and services

• ADMarker American-made art and design markers including the original xylene tri-nib marker and the alcohol-based twin tip Spectra AD Marker, used by artists, designers, and illustrators for advertising, fashion, and conceptual illustration.
• Clearprint Vellum American-made 100% cotton vellum paper used as an archival drafting and design standard in art and engineering since 1933.
• Frances Meyer Paper Crafting Supplies Paper crafting supplies including patterned papers, rub-on art, and stickers used for card making and scrapbooking.
• Maco Labels and Office Supplies American-made pressure sensitive adhesive labels and office supplies used for shipping, distribution, organization, and events.
• Skilcraft Science Education Products Science-based educational products including the Visible Man anatomical model kit used to teach children about skeletal and circulatory systems.
• Martin Universal Design (MUD) Artist Furniture Artist furniture including drawing tables, wood and metal easels, painting palettes, portfolios, and storage for professional and student artists.
• Borden & Riley Art Papers American-made art paper products for fine art, graphic art, and technical art applications compatible with marker, pen, and pencil.
• Crafthouse Paint-by-Numbers and Craft Kits Instructional craft kits including the original paint-by-numbers kits, acrylic paints, watercolors, colored pencil sets, and craft kits such as bakable sun catchers, designed for beginning creatives.
• Grumbacher Professional and Student Art Paints Professional and student grade American-made paints, mediums, charcoals, brushes, and fine art papers designed in the USA and trusted since 1905.
• Koh-I-Noor Professional Drawing Products Professional drawing products including colored and graphite pencils, drawing inks, and Rapidograph technical pens used by artists and engineers.
• thalo Online Artist Community Online artist community platform founded in 2010 that helps artists grow their skills, promote themselves, connect with others, access tutorials, and showcase work, including thaloConnect social network, thaloTV video content, Doddle production directory, and Max Grumbacher Gallery.
• Chartpak Brand Products (Templates, Tapes, Vinyl Lettering) Graphic art supplies manufactured by Chartpak since 1949, including Pickett and Rapidesign templates, graphic tapes, vinyl appliques, rub-on letters, stencils, and specialty graphic arts products.
• Higgins Drawing Inks American-made pigmented, black and white, and dye-based drawing inks used by artists and illustrators since the 1800s, plus ink pump markers.
• Molotow Urban Fine Art Products German-made Urban Fine Art products including acrylic and watercolor alcohol pump markers, premium spray paints, and masking pens used in urban fine art.
• Weber Artist Oil Paints and Mediums Artist color products including Permalba oil paints and Turpenoid odorless turpentine substitute, established as an American art materials brand since 1853.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trusted by artists from Norman Rockwell to NASA
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KuretakecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2023New partnership between leading Japanese art material manufacturer Kuretake and Chartpak. Kuretake is known for high-quality art materials including paints, markers, and inks with commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability.
• Art StartminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit program from New York City providing art instruction to at-risk and under-served children, teens, and families. Chartpak has conducted workshops/lectures, family art projects, and product donations.
• Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization for colored pencil enthusiasts promoting colored pencils as a fine art medium. Chartpak is a sponsor, attends exhibitions, provides workshops, and donates product awards.
• Snow FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit providing advanced studio instruction to adults and teens in a residential setting located 10 minutes from Chartpak. Chartpak provides scholarships for student summer programs, workshops, and educator training.
• Oil Painters of America (OPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization dedicated to preserving and promoting excellence in representational art. Chartpak provides awards for competitions and exhibits and attends regional shows.
• Urban SketchersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal non-profit connecting artists through on-location sketching. Chartpak sponsors events in Chicago, hosts sketching workshops, and features Urban Sketcher artists on social media.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClfMY66jglM9gB-DSdXPc1Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/grumbacher
• Instagraminstagram.com/grumbacherart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries16 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 Chartpak