CTA

What CTA does

CTA GmbH is a German contract filler (Lohnabfüllung) of chemical-technical products in liquid to highly paste-like form, headquartered in Ludwigsburg and operating as an independent subsidiary of the Tubex Group since 2005. The firm's core offering is the filling of customer-formulated products — adhesives, sealants, silicones, cleaning agents, lubricants, industrial cleaners, and similar chemistries — into containers ranging from 1 ml tubes to 60-liter canisters, across formats that include aluminum, plastic, laminate, and glass tubes; HDPE/PET/glass bottles; 1K and 2K cartridges; cans; canisters; and side-sealed or stand-up bags. CTA operates a 3,800 m² production site equipped with approximately 40 filling systems and 38 filling plants, supporting 980+ active filling articles and 2,400+ production articles, with reported throughput of 29 million units and 7,700+ individual orders per year in 2025.

The firm's underlying technology includes specialized 2K cartridge handling for Side-by-Side, U-TAH, and Coax formats, inert-gas protective filling for sensitive contents, a custom glass-ampoule system with scale-based fill-level control, and a 2023-installed X-Ray inspection line. Its 'Contract Filling 4.0' program digitizes material flow and operating data to give customers near real-time visibility into production. CTA is ISO 9001 (since 2005) and ISO 14001 (since 2005) certified, holds EcoVadis Bronze (since 2022), and is KIWA and REDcert2 certified.

CTA's business model is B2B contract manufacturing on a quote-based fee structure. Customers supply either their own formulations or co-develop/rely on CTA's proven formulations, with CTA procuring raw materials if needed. The full process chain (formulation, manufacturing, filling, packaging design, labeling, logistics with hazardous-goods capability) is offered end-to-end. Commercial reach is global, with shipments to 69 countries and a stated 98.5% on-time delivery rate, served by a direct sales team of key account managers led by Franco Menchetti (Head of Sales & Marketing), with a dedicated US subsidiary (CTA USA LLC, established 2023 in Linthicum Heights, MD) serving North America. Customer concentration is broad across 300+ industrial buyers spanning automotive, aerospace, DIY, and renewable-energy maintenance.

Name

CTA

Legal name

CTA GmbH

Website

https://cta-gmbh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CTA GmbH is a German contract filler of chemical-technical products for industrial customers, filling adhesives, sealants, silicones, and cleaners into tubes, cartridges, bottles, cans, canisters, and bags. It operates from Ludwigsburg with a US subsidiary in Maryland, serving 300+ customers across 69 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Manufacturing

NAICS

Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993)

SIC

Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080)

akta.pro primary industry

Tertiary Packaging & Unitization (Palletizing, Slip-Sheeting, Strapping) (TLAIAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Filling & Dosing Equipment (Liquid, Powder, Aseptic) (IMALAOAB), Filling & Dosing Machines (Liquid/Powder/Solid) (IMAHAOAF)

Keywords

• Contract filling services
• Chemical-technical products
• Toll manufacturing
• Tube and cartridge filling
• Industrial contract packaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Rutesheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Filling/Toll Manufacturing: B2B contract filling services where CTA fills customer products into various containers (tubes, cartridges, bottles, cans, canisters, bags). Customers provide formulations or CTA develops them. Revenue based on filling volumes and service complexity.
2. Custom Product Development & Manufacturing: Development and production of chemical-technical products either using customer formulations, CTA's own proven formulations, or jointly developed products. Manufacturing with customer or CTA-sourced raw materials.
3. Packaging Design Services: Design and development of saleable containers, labels, cardboard boxes, and sales displays for filled products.
4. Logistics Services: Worldwide logistics including shipping documentation (IATA), customs/export documents, shipping packaging and labeling, on-time delivery, storage of customer goods including hazardous materials, and direct shipping to customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CTA GmbH is a contract filler (Lohnabfüllung) of chemical-technical products in liquid to highly paste-like form, operating approximately 40 filling systems across multiple container formats including tubes, bottles, cartridges, cans, canisters, and bags. The company manages the full process chain from formulation development through production, filling, packaging design, and global logistics for industrial customers in chemical, automotive, aerospace, DIY, and renewable energy sectors.

Product overview

CTA GmbH is a contract filling (Lohnabfüllung) company specializing in chemical-technical products from liquid to highly paste-like form. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of filling services across multiple container types: Tubes (aluminium, plastic, laminate, polyfoil, coex), Bottles (glass, plastic, tinplate), Cartridges (1K and 2K including Coax systems), Cans, Canisters (up to 60 litres), and Bags. The core offering is Contract Filling 4.0, a digitalized filling service launched in 2017 that provides real-time process transparency. Supporting services include product development, packaging design, and global logistics. The company operates primarily from Ludwigsburg, Germany, with a subsidiary CTA USA LLC in Baltimore, Maryland established in 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tube Filling Contract filling of chemical-technical products into aluminium, plastic, laminate, polyfoil, and coex tubes ranging from 1 ml to 300 ml, with labelling, Euro hole punching, and protective gas treatment options for industrial customers.
• Bottle Filling Filling of glass, plastic (HDPE, LDPE, PET), and tinplate bottles from 2.5 ml upwards, with various closure options including screw caps, spray heads, and atomisers for chemical-technical products.
• Cartridge Filling Filling of 1-component and 2-component cartridge systems (aluminium and plastic) from 50 ml to 1,500 ml, including Side-by-Side (SBS), U-TAH, and Coax cartridge systems for adhesives and sealants.
• Can Filling Filling of plastic and tin cans from 20 ml to 1,000 ml, including various closure types and materials (HDPE, PET, PP, PVC) for chemical-technical products.
• Canister Filling Filling of plastic and metal canisters or buckets from 2 to 60 litres volume, with labelling, assembling, and cartoning options for bulk chemical-technical products.
• Bag Filling Filling of side-sealed bags from 1 ml to 80 ml and stand-up bags from 1 to 5 litres, with heat sealing, blistering, and labelling options for greases, oils, cleaning agents, and 2-component adhesives.
• 2K Filling Systems Specialized two-component cartridge filling service for 2K chemical-technical products, designed for adhesives, sealants, and other reactive formulations requiring precise mixing at point of use.
• Contract Filling 4.0 Digitalized contract filling service with real-time data acquisition and process monitoring for maximum transparency and fast information flow throughout the workflow.

Quantifiable outcome

• 29 million units filled in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CTA USA LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Established in 2023 as a new production facility for contract filling in Baltimore, USA. Long-term goal is to establish CTA-USA based on the model of CTA GmbH in Ludwigsburg (technology and sales). Initial focus on 2-component and tube filling with phased expansion planned.
• Tubex GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Tubex Group, one of the world's leading tube manufacturers, acquired Albert Kienzle GmbH & Co. KG in 1996 and established CTA GmbH as an independent subsidiary in 2005. CTA serves as the filling specialists within the Tubex Group, enabling preferential pricing for customers and close cooperation with manufacturing plants for unusual requirements.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SCHOTT AG: German specialty glass manufacturer producing pharmaceutical ampoules, vials, and cartridges; operates filling-related services. Directly comparable to CTA's specialty glass ampoule filling capability and German industrial base.
• Recipharm AB: European CDMO providing contract manufacturing and fill/finish services for pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Operates a comparable contract filling business model serving chemical-technical customers, though weighted toward pharma.
• IMA Group: Italian global leader in packaging machinery and processing equipment, including automated filling lines for tubes, cartridges, and bottles. Comparable to CTA as a provider of filling/dosing technology across the same container formats CTA services.
• ALPLA Group: Austrian global plastic packaging manufacturer offering bottles, tubes, and jars plus related filling services for personal care, cleaning, and chemical-technical customers. Comparable to CTA in tube/bottle/canister filling of chemical-technical products.
• Gerresheimer AG: German manufacturer of primary packaging (glass and plastic) plus related filling/finishing services for pharma and consumer products. Overlaps with CTA in glass bottle/ampoule filling and chemical-technical product contract services.
• Catalent: Global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) offering fill/finish services across pharmaceuticals and consumer health. Operates a contract filling model analogous to CTA's, but at much larger scale and primarily in pharma.
• West Pharmaceutical Services: Global manufacturer of packaging components and delivery systems for injectable drugs and consumer healthcare, including specialized cartridge and elastomer closure filling services. Comparable to CTA's 2K cartridge and precision filling expertise.
• Stevanato Group: Italian manufacturer of glass primary packaging and integrated fill/finish solutions for pharmaceuticals. Comparable to CTA in glass ampoule/vial filling capability and industrial pharmaceutical packaging services.

Direct peers

• Berlin Packaging: Global hybrid packaging supplier combining rigid container manufacturing with contract filling and supply chain services for chemicals, personal care, and food. Most directly comparable co-packing/contract filling competitor for chemical-technical product customers.

Others

• Tubex Group: Parent company of CTA and one of the world's leading tube manufacturers. Sister entity in the packaging manufacturing value chain - CTA handles filling of tubes produced within the same corporate group.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 CTA