What Cartones America does

Cartones América S.A. is a Colombian-domiciled, privately held industrial manufacturer of corrugated cardboard packaging, industrial papers, and coated/uncoated cardboards, founded in 1950 and headquartered in Cali, Colombia. The group operates through six wholly-owned country subsidiaries — INPACO S.A.I.C.E.I. (Argentina), CHILEMPACK S.A. (Chile), Cartones América S.A. (Colombia), Corrugadora Nacional CRANSA S.A. (Ecuador), Papelera del Sur S.A. (Peru), and V.C.C. Venezolana de Cartones Corrugados C.A. (Venezuela) — collectively running 10 manufacturing plants that span paper mills (Molino) and corrugator/converting lines (Corrugadora). Serviceable products include standard RSC boxes (Caja Corriente), telescopic, wrap-around, Bliss, and handle-style boxes, high-definition flexographic printed packaging (Alta Gráfica), and interior protective parts, plus raw materials across the B/C/E/BC-CE flute spectrum alongside Liner, Medium, Kraft, and specialty folder/tube papers.

The business model is a sales-led B2B industrial operation that produces and sells packaging and paper through authorized distribution channels to a horizontal customer base of 7,500+ multinational and local manufacturers in industries such as furniture, flowers, and general merchandise. Revenue is generated on transactional product sales (one-time purchases of physical goods) rather than subscriptions or licensing; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Customers are served through direct sales and authorized channel partners across the six-country region, with the group targeting regional procurement contracts from multinationals that require multi-country packaging supply. Technology is centered on computerized corrugators and converting machinery, automatic process control systems that verify paper conditions (humidity, weight base, gauge), and strict in-plant quality supervision. The group holds ISO 9001:2015 certification at regional level across all plants.

Name

Cartones America

Legal name

Cartones América S.A.

Website

https://cartonesamerica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Cartones América S.A. is a privately held Colombian-founded corrugated cardboard packaging and industrial paper manufacturer operating 10 plants across 6 Latin American countries, serving 7,500+ multinational and local industrial customers with ISO 9001:2015 certified, vertically integrated paper-to-packaging production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Packaging Manufacturing

NAICS

Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing (322211), Paperboard Container Manufacturing (32221), Paperboard Mills (32213)

SIC

Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650), Paper Mills (2621)

akta.pro primary industry

Folding Cartons & Paperboard Packaging Converting (IMAMAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Paperboard & Containerboard Trading (IMAMAIAG)

Keywords

• Corrugated cardboard packaging
• Industrial paper manufacturing
• Cardboard box production
• Packaging materials wholesale
• Flexographic printing packaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Cali

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corrugated Cardboard Packaging: Manufacturing and sale of corrugated cardboard boxes and packaging solutions for various industries including furniture, flowers, and general merchandise.
2. Papers and Cardboards: Production and sale of papers and cardboards including liner papers, medium papers, enameled cardboards, folder papers, and kraft folding materials for various manufacturing applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Cartones America is a Latin American corrugated cardboard packaging and industrial paper manufacturer operating 10 production plants across 6 countries (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela). It produces corrugated cardboard boxes in multiple styles, raw corrugated materials (B, C, BC double-wall, E micro, single-face), industrial papers (liner, medium, kraft, folder), coated/uncoated cardboards, and high-definition flexographic printed packaging. Products are sold to industrial and commercial clients through authorized distribution channels.

Product overview

Cartones America is a regional manufacturer of integrated solutions in corrugated cardboard packaging, papers, and coated cardboards. The company operates 10 production plants across 6 Latin American countries (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela) serving over 7,500 customers. The product portfolio consists of two main categories: (1) Corrugated Cardboard Packaging including various box styles (Caja Corriente, Caja Telescópicas, Caja Wrap Around, Cajas Asa o Maletín, Cajas Bliss Case, Alta Gráfica printed packaging, and interior parts), plus different corrugated material types (B-wave, C-wave, E-wave Micro, BC-CE Double Wall, Single Face); and (2) Papers and Cardboards including industrial papers (Liner, Medium, Kraft), coated/uncoated cardboards, folder papers, and specialty papers for spiral tubes. The company emphasizes over 70 years of experience and ISO 9001:2015 quality certification at regional level.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Caja Corriente (Regular Slotted Container / American Box RSC 0201) Regular corrugated cardboard box where all flaps meet at the center; the most commonly used corrugated packaging by industry due to its simple manufacturing process. Targeted at industrial and commercial manufacturers.
• Caja Telescópica (Telescopic Box) Packaging composed of one or more pieces (lid and base) characterized by telescopic effect, functioning individually or one inside another; used in industry for its height variation characteristic.
• Caja Wrap Around Single-piece envelope-type packaging made through corrugation and die-cutting, with mechanical automated assembly required. Targeted at industrial manufacturers.
• Cajas Asa o Maletín (Handle Boxes) Specialized packaging with easy-carry handle features, used especially in industry as promotional packaging or for marketing product handling.
• Cajas Bliss Case Packaging composed of three structural elements (2 lateral and central body) made through corrugation and die-cutting, with mechanized automated assembly. Targeted at industrial customers.
• Alta Gráfica (High-Definition Flexographic Printed Packaging) High-definition flexographic printing process using primary colors and quality inks, especially for exhibitor packaging or direct customer contact at points of sale. Targeted at brands needing retail-facing packaging.
• Partes Interiores (Interior Packaging Parts) Interior parts including die-cut pieces, protectors, printed pads, used for product protection and separation within packaging. Targeted at industrial manufacturers.
• Liner Paper Paper used for the external face in the structure of corrugated cardboard; sold as an industrial input. Targeted at corrugated cardboard manufacturers.
• Medio (Medium) Paper Paper used for wave generation in corrugated cardboard; sold as an industrial input. Targeted at corrugated cardboard manufacturers.
• Cartulinas Esmaltadas y Sin Esmaltar (Coated and Uncoated Cardboards) Coated and uncoated cardboards used for manufacturing foldable packaging. Targeted at folding-carton manufacturers.
• Kraft Plegable (Foldable Kraft Paper) Foldable kraft paper used for manufacturing foldable packaging. Targeted at folding-carton manufacturers.
• Folder Paper and Liner Tubo de Folder Paper used for manufacturing dividers, file folder components, and cardboard tubes. Targeted at office-products and tube manufacturers.
• Papel Industria Corrugado (Spiral Tube Paper) Industrial papers used for manufacturing spiral-wound tubes. Targeted at tube/converter manufacturers.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Pactiv Evergreen: North American manufacturer of food/foodservice and beverage packaging with paper-based product lines. Comparable in producing paper-based packaging substrates and converted boxes, though focused primarily on foodservice and food processing end-markets in North America.
• Graphic Packaging: Global paperboard packaging manufacturer producing folding cartons, coated recycled board, and food/beverage packaging. Comparable in paperboard packaging converting and printing capabilities, though focused on consumer/folding carton markets rather than industrial corrugated.
• International Paper: Global paper and packaging leader with industrial packaging, global cellulose fibers, and printing papers businesses. Overlaps with Cartones America across corrugated industrial packaging and containerboard, though at far greater global scale and primarily serving North American and European markets with selective LatAm presence.
• Sonoco: Diversified global packaging company with industrial paper, rigid paper containers, and protective solutions segments. Comparable in paper-based industrial packaging products and B2B customer base, though with broader product portfolio and primarily North American/European presence.
• Stora Enso: Nordic paper and biomaterials producer with significant packaging board and containerboard operations. Comparable in producing liner and fluting for corrugated packaging as well as folding boxboard, though primarily serving European and Asian packaging converters.
• Mondi: European-headquartered paper and packaging group producing corrugated packaging and containerboard. Comparable vertically integrated business model (paper mills + converters) and similar B2B industrial customer mix, though primarily serving European markets rather than Latin America.
• Cascades: Canadian-based manufacturer of recycled-based packaging products including containerboard and corrugated packaging. Comparable vertical integration into recycled fiber and corrugated box manufacturing, though focused on North American markets.

Regional players

• Klabin: Brazil's largest paper producer and packaging manufacturer, producing kraftliner, corrugated boxes, and industrial bags. Closest large-scale Latin American peer to Cartones America with a similar integrated mill-to-customer model, though focused primarily on Brazil rather than the Andean countries.
• Propal: Colombian paper producer and packaging manufacturer producing containerboard, kraft paper, and corrugated boxes domestically. Most direct in-country peer, sharing the Colombian market and similar integrated paper mill + converter model, though smaller in geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Smurfit Westrock: World's largest containerboard and corrugated packaging producer formed by the 2024 combination of Smurfit Kappa and WestRock. Direct competitor in corrugated boxes with established operations across Latin America, including Colombia, Mexico, and several Central/South American markets, and overlapping paper mill/converter integration model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 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 Cartones America