DeLano Service

What DeLano Service does

DeLano Service, operating commercially as Delano Games, LLC, is a US-based contract manufacturer of board games and card games headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan. Founded in 1910 and operating as a subsidiary of EPI Marketing Services, the company occupies a 250,000 square-foot combined manufacturing and warehousing facility with 80,000 RF/barcode-managed pallet positions, central to US domestic distribution. Its core products are end-to-end board game and card game production runs (minimum order quantity 2,000 units; 6-8 week off-season lead times), bundled with three supporting service modules: marketing collateral production (brochures, catalogs, displays, sell sheets, posters, floor tiles, standees) leveraging the parent company's on-site commercial printing equipment; warehousing and fulfillment to households, Amazon, retailers (Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble), specialty stores, and distributors; and crowdfunding campaign support for Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Gamefound, and Backerkit creators. Sister company TMP extends the offering into promotional merchandise.

The business operates on a project-based production-fee model: customers receive quote-based pricing (labor firm for 30 days, materials adjustable), pay 50% down on production runs with the balance due before shipping, and gain access to a 23+ year integrated parent company that handles safety testing coordination (CPSIA, EN-71 Part 3, ASTM Soluble Heavy Metals) and lot tracking (9-alphanumeric identifiers for products intended for users under 18). The customer base spans large publishers (Hachette Games, Cephalofair, Looney Labs, Play Monster Games), mid-market publishers (Asmadi Games, Dutch Blitz, CCE, Evermade), and a long tail of independent game inventors and crowdfunding creators. The GTM is hybrid: enterprise field sales via a quote-request funnel supported by downloadable educational resources, combined with channel partner distribution through distributors, Amazon, and major retailers. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company is privately held with no external institutional investment evident.

Name

DeLano Service

Legal name

Delano Games, LLC

Website

https://delanogames.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

DeLano Service, operating as Delano Games, is a US-based contract manufacturer of board and card games offering end-to-end production, marketing collateral, warehousing, and fulfillment services to game publishers, independent inventors, and crowdfunding creators from its Battle Creek, Michigan facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Battle Creek

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Game Manufacturing/Production: One-time production fees for manufacturing board games and card games. Customers pay 50% down payment on production runs with remainder due before shipping. Minimum order quantities of 2,000 units for both card games and board games. Production lead times of 6-8 weeks during off-season.
2. Warehousing and Fulfillment Services: Storage and fulfillment capabilities for completed games. Games are palletized on hardwood shipping pallets and shrink-wrapped for protection. Services include shipping to households, specialty stores, Amazon, distributors, and major retailers. Handles Kickstarter fulfillment and kit fulfillment.
3. Marketing Materials Production: Production of marketing collateral including brochures, catalogs, displays/POPs, sell sheets, posters, large floor tiles, standees, and merchandising materials. Offered as part of one-stop source partnership through parent company's commercial printing equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DeLano Service (operating as Delano Games, LLC) is a US-based contract manufacturer of board games and card games, offering end-to-end production services from concept through proofing, manufacturing, warehousing, and fulfillment. The company produces games on behalf of game inventors, publishers, and crowdfunding creators, with minimum order quantities of 2,000 units and lead times of 6-8 weeks off-season. It also provides complementary marketing collateral production (brochures, displays, sell sheets), warehousing (250,000 sq ft, 80,000 pallet locations), and Kickstarter/crowdfunding fulfillment services as a one-stop shop for game creators.

Product overview

Delano Games operates as a single unified manufacturing and services platform for board and card games. The core offering consists of board game manufacturing and card game manufacturing services, supported by three key service modules: Marketing Services (brochures, catalogs, displays, sell sheets, posters, floor tiles, standees, and merchandising materials), Warehousing & Fulfillment (with 250,000 sq ft storage capacity), and Crowdfunding Support (consultation, fulfillment, and kit assembly for Kickstarter and other campaigns). The company provides end-to-end services from production through distribution, all manufactured in the USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Board Game Manufacturing End-to-end US-based manufacturing services for board games including production, proofing, and quality control. Minimum order quantities of 2,000 units with 2-3 week production proofing and 6-8 week lead times off-season. Serves game inventors, publishers, and crowdfunding creators.
• Card Game Manufacturing Complete card game production services including printing, cutting, packaging, and fulfillment. Minimum order quantities of 2,000 units with 50% down payment required and remainder due before shipping. Serves game publishers, inventors, and crowdfunding creators.
• Marketing Services
• Warehousing & Fulfillment
• Crowdfunding Support

Quantifiable outcome

• 250,000 square feet combined manufacturing and warehouse space
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EPI Marketing Services/PrinterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company of Delano Games. Delano Games has access to all commercial printing equipment at EPI's site, enabling seamless production of marketing materials (brochures, catalogs, sell sheets, posters) alongside game manufacturing. EPI has been operating for over 23 years with Delano Games as part of the EPI family.
• TMP (sister company)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company of Delano Games that provides merchandise production capabilities including pens, water bottles, coffee mugs, T-shirts, and specialty items for marketing giveaways, holiday mailings, and Kickstarter backer fulfillment kits.
• KickstarterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrowdfunding platform that Delano Games provides guidance and support for. Offers downloadable Kickstarter Tips guide and helps customers with stretch goals, cost reduction options, post-campaign printing, storage, and fulfillment.
• GamefoundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrowdfunding platform for board games that Delano Games supports customers with, similar to Kickstarter guidance.
• IndiegogominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrowdfunding platform that Delano Games provides guidance and support for game creators.
• BackerkitminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPost-campaign management and fulfillment platform that Delano Games supports customers with for managing backer commitments and fulfillment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hasbro: Hasbro is a global play and entertainment company with large-scale board and card game manufacturing operations across multiple geographies. It operates far more broadly than Delano but overlaps directly in the board and card game manufacturing category, especially for mass-market titles.
• Asmodee: Asmodee is one of the largest global board game publishers and distributors, with significant in-house and partner manufacturing operations. While primarily a publisher, its scale and vertically integrated production make it an incumbent reference point in the same end-to-end board game value chain Delano serves.

Direct peers

• Cartamundi: Cartamundi is one of the world's largest manufacturers of board and card games, offering end-to-end production, packaging, and distribution for publishers worldwide. It is the closest large-scale direct competitor to Delano's offering, operating globally with similar end-to-end game-manufacturing services.
• Panda Game Manufacturing: Panda Game Manufacturing is a US-based board and card game manufacturer offering production, fulfillment, and distribution services to publishers. Its domestic US focus, indie-friendly positioning, and full-service model make it a direct competitor to Delano in the North American market.
• Long Pack Games: Long Pack Games is an Asia-based manufacturer specializing in board game, card game, and packaging production for global publishers. It offers comparable core manufacturing capabilities to Delano, including component sourcing, printing, and assembly, serving many of the same publishers but from a lower-cost offshore base.
• QP International (QP Group): QP International is a Hong Kong-based contract manufacturer with significant board and card game production capacity, including printing, die-cutting, and packaging. It competes directly with Delano for publisher production runs, particularly on large-scale printed game projects.

Emerging players

• Cryptozoic Entertainment: Cryptozoic Entertainment is a US-based game publisher and manufacturer producing board games, card games, and collectibles with end-to-end design-to-shelf capabilities. It overlaps with Delano as both a manufacturer and a publisher, occupying adjacent positions in the same indie-to-licensed-title segment.

Others

• Stonemaier Games: Stonemaier Games is an independent board game publisher and design studio known for crowdfunded and retail titles. It is comparable to Delano's publisher customer base (game inventors, designers, crowdfunding creators) and reflects a typical buyer profile for Delano's manufacturing, marketing, and fulfillment services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/delano-service

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 DeLano Service