Carton Manufacturers

What Carton Manufacturers does

Carton Manufacturers Ltd is a privately-held Kenyan corrugated packaging manufacturer founded in 1979 and headquartered in the Industrial Area of Nairobi, operating multiple manufacturing and distribution sites across Kenya including a Mlolongo warehouse. The company produces a broad portfolio of corrugated packaging products: regular slotted cases, die-cut cases (minimum order 500 pieces), laminated die-cut boxes (minimum order 5,000 pieces), telescopic flower boxes, wax-coated cases for frozen goods, archive boxes, SFK and Kraft paper, self-adhesive roll labels, and packaging tape. Production capabilities include custom die-cut manufacturing, multi-colour printing up to five colours, lamination, UV varnishing, and wax coating, with approximately 35% of energy requirements met through on-site solar generation.

The business serves a diversified B2B customer base across Kenya, with primary demand coming from the fresh produce and floriculture export sectors, and additional exposure to food and beverage, logistics and warehousing, and document management. Carton Manufacturers Ltd is ISO 9001:2015 certified for quality management and FSSC 22000 certified (ISO 22000:2018 plus ISO/TS 22002-4:2013) for food-contact packaging safety, a regulatory combination that is uncommon among regional competitors and underpins the company's positioning in food and agricultural supply chains.

Commercial operations are sales-led and direct, with customers engaging via the company website, phone, or email. Products are custom-manufactured to order with quoted pricing and minimum order quantities, and some plain stock items are available in smaller volumes. The company has 251-500 employees, is privately held with no disclosed parent or external institutional investors, has not raised funding, and has no public revenue disclosure. The market served is domestic Kenya, with no documented international expansion.

Name

Carton Manufacturers

Legal name

Carton Manufacturers Ltd

Website

https://carton.co.ke

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Carton Manufacturers Ltd is a privately-held Kenyan corrugated packaging manufacturer founded in 1979, producing custom boxes, self-adhesive labels, and packaging materials for B2B customers in fresh produce, floriculture, food and beverage, logistics, and document management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Packaging

NAICS

Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing (322211), Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing (322212)

SIC

Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650)

akta.pro primary industry

Corrugated Packaging & Boxes (RSC, die-cut, bulk bins) (IMAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Folding Carton & Paperboard Packaging Printing (IMALAKAH), Folding Cartons & Paperboard Packaging Converting (IMAMAHAB)

Keywords

• Corrugated packaging
• Cardboard boxes
• Industrial packaging
• Die-cut cases
• Paper packaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corrugated Packaging Products: Manufacturing and sale of corrugated boxes including Regular Slotted Cases, Die-cut Cases, Laminated Die-cut Boxes, Telescopic Flower Boxes, Archive Boxes, and Wax-coated Cases. Products are custom manufactured to customer specifications with minimum order quantities.
2. Labels and Ancillary Products: Production and sale of self-adhesive labels (specializing in roll labels) and packaging tape for sealing boxes
3. SFK and Kraft Paper: Sale of Single Faced Kraft and Kraft paper for wrapping products such as furniture, flowers, and glassware

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Carton Manufacturers Ltd manufactures and supplies corrugated packaging products, including regular slotted containers, die-cut cases, laminated die-cut boxes, telescopic flower boxes, archive boxes, wax-coated cases, and self-adhesive labels, primarily for industrial and commercial buyers. The company also produces SFK/Kraft paper and packaging tape as ancillary offerings, and operates from multiple manufacturing and distribution sites across Kenya.

Product overview

Carton Manufacturers Ltd offers a comprehensive portfolio of corrugated packaging solutions as a platform of related products. The core offering includes Regular Slotted Cases, Die-cut Cases, Laminated Die-cut Boxes, and Telescopic Flower Boxes, complemented by protective packaging materials such as SFK and Kraft Paper, Wax-coated Cases, Archive Boxes, Self-adhesive Labels, and Packaging Tape. Together, these products serve fresh produce, floriculture, document archiving, and general packaging needs across Kenya.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corrugated boxes (Regular Slotted Containers) Standard slotted corrugated cardboard boxes for shipping, storage, and general industrial packaging use by commercial buyers.
• Die-cut cases Custom die-cut corrugated cases shaped to specific product dimensions for industrial and commercial packaging applications.
• Laminated die-cut boxes Die-cut corrugated boxes with laminated printed or structural surfaces for enhanced presentation and durability.
• Telescopic flower boxes Two-piece telescopic corrugated boxes designed for the packing and export of fresh flowers by floriculture producers.
• Wax-coated cases Corrugated cases with a wax coating for moisture resistance, suited to produce, agricultural, and cold-chain applications.
• Archive boxes Heavy-duty corrugated boxes designed for the long-term storage and archiving of documents and records.
• SFK / Kraft paper Semi-chemical fluting (SFK) and Kraft paper supplied as raw or converted paper material for packaging applications.
• Self-adhesive labels Self-adhesive labels sold as a complementary packaging identification product for commercial customers.
• Packaging tape Packaging tape supplied as a complementary sealing product alongside corrugated packaging.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 35% of energy requirements met through on-site solar generation
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• International Paper: World's largest pulp and paper producer with broad corrugated packaging operations globally. Represents the scale and vertical-integration ceiling that established converters benchmark against.
• Mondi Group: Global packaging and paper group with significant corrugated and kraft paper operations. A broad incumbent offering integrated paper-to-packaging capabilities that dwarf regional converters like Carton Manufacturers.
• Graphic Packaging Holding Company: Major paperboard packaging manufacturer focused on folding cartons and coated recycled paperboard. Comparable on the laminated folding-carton side of Carton Manufacturers' portfolio.
• Tetra Pak: Global leader in carton packaging for liquid food and beverage. Comparable on food-safe certified packaging with FSSC/ISO standards that overlap Carton Manufacturers' F&B positioning.
• Smurfit Kappa: Global leader in corrugated packaging with operations across Europe and Latin America, and growing presence in Africa. A broad incumbent whose scale, automation, and integrated paper mills set the benchmark Carton Manufacturers competes against.
• Huhtamaki: Global food and consumer packaging company with strong presence in folding cartons, labels, and food-service packaging. Comparable breadth across Carton Manufacturers' box-and-label portfolio.

Others

• Avery Dennison: Global leader in pressure-sensitive labels and packaging materials. Closely comparable on the self-adhesive roll label portion of Carton Manufacturers' product range and a likely competitive reference point in the label segment.

Regional players

• Corruseal Group: East African corrugated packaging manufacturer operating across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and surrounding markets. Comparable product portfolio of corrugated boxes and packaging materials with broader regional reach than Carton Manufacturers.

Direct peers

• Packaging Manufacturers Company Ltd (PMC): Kenyan corrugated and packaging manufacturer producing folding cartons, corrugated boxes, and self-adhesive labels. Directly comparable in product range, customer verticals, and domestic Kenyan focus.
• East African Packaging Industries: Established Kenyan corrugated and paperboard packaging manufacturer serving similar B2B customers in East Africa with comparable folding cartons and shipping cases. Directly competes with Carton Manufacturers in the local Kenyan market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carton-manufacturers-ltd

Compliance2 records

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 Carton Manufacturers