Chicago Display Marketing

What Chicago Display Marketing does

Chicago Display Marketing Corporation (CDM), founded in 1946 and headquartered at 11533 Franklin Ave, Franklin Park, Illinois, is a privately-held, full-service contract manufacturer of custom point-of-purchase displays, merchandising systems, store fixtures, retail graphics, and signage. The company operates a 90,000 square foot integrated production and fulfillment center that combines metal fabrication (CNC wire bending, MIG/butt welding, tube swaging), plastic fabrication (vacuum forming, heat bending, CNC routing), wood and corrugated fabrication, sign fabrication (digital printing, electronic component assembly, prototyping), and overseas manufacturing partners. CDM serves marquee enterprise clients including Walmart, Shell, AAFES, Hostess Brands (a 70+ year relationship dating to the company's founding), Walgreens, Krispy Kreme, Chase, Diageo, Bimbo, Corsair, Glorious, and the Texas Lottery, spanning mass retail, petroleum/convenience, government/military exchange, food/bakery, retail pharmacy, QSR, banking, beverage, and gaming verticals.

The company's business model rests on three revenue streams: (1) custom display manufacturing sold via project-based quotes to enterprise brand marketers and retailers, (2) stock displays purchased from a pre-designed catalog available at quoted quantities, and (3) lottery display solutions ranging from 10-unit sampling programs to 10,000-unit statewide roll-outs. Pricing is entirely quote-based and not publicly disclosed; contracts tend to be multi-year with enterprise anchors. Distribution is direct via enterprise field sales, with dedicated CSR support, toll-free telephone service, secure online ordering, custom pack-out, order tracking, and online inventory control integrated into the fulfillment workflow.

Customer engagement is relationship-driven and deep: CDM's customer service team interfaces with 600+ independent Shell operators for invoicing and shipping; the Hostess program averages 14 orders per day across a custom catalog of 120+ SKUs; the AAFES program spans 140+ display SKUs across diverse formats (barber shops, optical centers, auto care, salons, troop stores, express convenience). The company has no disclosed outside funding, no parent company, and no evidence of institutional ownership — consistent with a stable, founder-family or closely-held operator business now in its eighth decade.

Name

Chicago Display Marketing

Legal name

Chicago Display Marketing Corporation

Website

https://chicagodisplay.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago Display Marketing (founded 1946, Franklin Park, IL) is a full-service contract manufacturer of custom point-of-purchase displays, merchandising systems, store fixtures, signage, and lottery display solutions, serving enterprise clients including Walmart, Shell, AAFES, and Hostess from a 90,000 sq ft integrated production and fulfillment center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Display Manufacturing

NAICS

Sign Manufacturing (339950), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Shows & Exhibitions (Booths, Show Management) (BPAFAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Graphics Production & Large-Format Printing (Banners, Wraps, Signage) (THAHAHAG), Custom Booth & Stand Design (Concept, 3D, Branding) (THAHAHAA)

Keywords

• Point-of-purchase displays
• Retail merchandising systems
• Custom store fixtures
• Retail signage manufacturing
• Lottery display solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

River Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Display Manufacturing: Custom point-of-purchase displays, merchandising systems, store fixtures, and signage designed and produced to client specifications. Revenue generated through project-based contracts with custom pricing based on design complexity, materials, and volume.
2. Stock Displays: Pre-designed stock display catalog available for immediate purchase. Proven successful displays for a wide range of brands and retailers sold at standard quantities.
3. Lottery Solutions: Specialized lottery display products for state lotteries including in-lane displays, pump toppers, pole signs, counter mats, and vending machines. Services range from 10 sample units to 10,000 unit statewide roll-outs.
4. Fulfillment Services: Comprehensive fulfillment programs including toll-free support, dedicated CSR, secure online ordering, custom pack-out, order processing, tracking, and inventory management for ongoing client programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Chicago Display Marketing designs, manufactures, and fulfills custom point-of-purchase displays, merchandising systems, store fixtures, retail graphics, and signage for brands and retailers. The company operates an integrated Design-Production-Fulfillment model out of a 90,000 sq ft facility, with multi-material fabrication capabilities (metal, wire, wood, plastic, corrugated) and a smaller line of stock displays and lottery products. It earns revenue primarily through custom project contracts plus ongoing fulfillment programs with dedicated customer service.

Product overview

Chicago Display Marketing is a full-service provider of custom point-of-purchase displays, merchandising systems, store fixtures, retail graphics, and signage. The company operates with a three-service model: Design, Production, and Fulfillment. Their product portfolio includes Displays (custom POP displays), Fixtures (merchandising platforms), Signage (indoor/outdoor solutions), Stock Displays (pre-designed catalog items), and Lottery Products (state lottery retail displays including kiosks, pole signs, and checkout dividers). Services span in-house design and engineering, multi-material production (metal, wire, wood, plastic, corrugated), and comprehensive fulfillment operations with online ordering capabilities. The company serves manufacturers, retailers, and distributors with a 360-degree approach to the retail and c-store marketplace.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Point-of-Purchase Displays Custom-designed point-of-purchase displays built to client specifications and retailer style guides, intended to improve customer engagement and lift sales by commanding retail presence. Available to brand marketers and major retailers.
• Store Fixtures Trusted and proven merchandising platforms for full product lines, including metal tubing, welded wire, laminated board, and fully assembled constructions. Used by major retailers, banks, and CPG brands for in-store merchandising.
• Retail Signage Indoor and outdoor signage solutions that deliver messaging and reinforce branding, including illuminated signs, wall graphics, and dimensional lettering, built for major retailers and brand marketers.
• Stock Displays Pre-designed catalog of stock displays proven successful for a wide range of brands and retailers; available for quick deployment at quote-requested quantities.
• Lottery Products Complete lottery retail display solutions for state lottery programs, including in-lane digital pole signs, checkout dividers, pump toppers, counter mats, and vending machines. Programs scale from 10 retailer-recruitment samples to 10,000-unit statewide roll-outs.
• Design and Engineering Services In-house design and engineering teams formulate effective approaches to client goals, with demonstrated understanding of display requirements and style guides of major retail channels. Engages from concept sketch to fully engineered production.
• Custom Production Services Full multi-material manufacturing services including metal fabrication (CNC wire bending, welding, tube swaging), plastic fabrication (vacuum forming, CNC routing), wood fabrication, corrugated fabrication, sign fabrication, prototyping, and overseas manufacturing partnerships for cost-effective scale.
• Fulfillment Services Ongoing program fulfillment from a 90,000 sq ft center, including toll-free telephone support, dedicated CSR support, secure online ordering, custom pack-out, order processing and tracking, and online inventory control for enterprise clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140+ display SKUs managed for AAFES partnership spanning 20+ years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AAFES (Army & Air Force Exchange Service)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 200320+ year comprehensive partnership designing, producing, and installing retail marketing solutions for AAFES locations. 140+ display SKUs, custom signs, large-format wall graphics, dimensional lettering, illuminated indoor/outdoor signs, posters, promotional materials, and brand standards manual.
• WalmartcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Ongoing partnership for custom displays within Walmart Guidelines covering Action Alley to Checkout, ISB to department-specific merchandising. Design engineered for high-velocity shopping, materials include metal tubing, welded wire, laminated board, and fully assembled construction.
• ShellcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998CDM contracted to produce point of sale hardware for Shell gas stations including pump toppers, brochure holders, curb/pole/building signs. Durable outdoor solutions for extreme weather. 25+ year preferred vendor relationship with customer service team interacting with 600+ independent operators for invoicing and shipping.
• Hostess BrandscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1946Founded in 1946 with Hostess Twinkie as first project. CDM developed merchandising displays to enable year-round Twinkie availability. 70+ year partnership includes custom catalog of 120+ SKUs, online ordering platform, averaging 14 orders daily. Represents CDM's longest and most significant client relationship.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• TricorBraun: Large North American rigid packaging distributor with a growing custom POP display and components business. Comparable to CDM through its retail merchandising and display offering, though much broader in scope.
• Sealed Air: Major protective and food packaging manufacturer with retail display and merchandising solutions. Comparable to CDM in retail merchandising hardware but much larger and more diversified across packaging categories.
• Smurfit Westrock: Global paper-based packaging giant with a POP display solutions business serving retailers and brand owners. Comparable to CDM in corrugated and paper-based retail displays but operates across a far broader packaging portfolio.
• Sonoco Products: Global packaging manufacturer with a dedicated Display and Packaging segment serving retail and CPG customers. Compares to CDM through custom point-of-purchase displays but operates at vastly larger scale across multiple packaging categories.

Direct peers

• InStore Group: Custom retail display and POP manufacturer serving major CPG brands and retailers across the U.S. Closely comparable to CDM in product mix (custom displays, fixtures, signage) and project-based enterprise sales motion.
• Great Northern InStore: Custom in-store display, signage, and fixture manufacturer serving large retailers and CPG brands. Directly comparable to CDM in integrated design-build-fulfillment model and enterprise retail customer base.
• nosco: Custom packaging and POP display producer for consumer brands, with integrated design, printing, and fulfillment capabilities. Comparable to CDM across multi-material production and turnkey retail merchandising programs.

Emerging players

• Marketing Impact: Retail and shopper marketing agency producing custom displays, fixtures, and in-store activations for CPG brands. Comparable to CDM in custom POP delivery and enterprise CPG clients, with a more agency-led and less fabrication-heavy model.
• The Imagine Group: Print, packaging, and retail display provider serving brands across consumer verticals. Comparable to CDM in integrated print-to-display capabilities and enterprise customer focus, though narrower in physical fabrication.
• Impact Innovations Group: Custom retail display and merchandising producer focused on multi-material fabrication for CPG brands. Comparable to CDM in custom design-build capabilities, though smaller and more limited in fulfillment scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Chicago Display Marketing