C.H. Ellis

What C.H. Ellis does

C.H. Ellis is a U.S. custom case manufacturer founded in 1902 in Indianapolis, Indiana, operating from a single 56,000 square-foot facility that consolidates roto-molding, vacuum thermoforming, injection molding, blow molding, TIG aluminum welding, and precision foam fabrication (CNC, waterjet, die-cut, lamination) under one roof. Its core products are hard cases (vacuum-formed, roto-molded, injection-molded, blow-molded, aluminum, and EVA), custom foam inserts, sewn goods (backpacks, bags, covers), tool pallets, and accessories; the company also distributes Pelican products as an authorized reseller and operates acquired brands including Chicago Case Company, Parker Roto-Rugged, Howe Industries, and SMOR Cases. The company serves aerospace (FOD prevention, inspection tool pouches), medical (FDA-approved diagnostic device bags, first-responder oxygen systems), industrial, and field service/military customers (notably the U.S. Military General Maintenance Tool Kit program), with named Fortune 500 and government clients.

The business model is sales-led and project-based: every custom solution is initiated via a quote request (5-minute form, 48-hour response) and priced bespoke based on case type, materials, customization, foam requirements, and volume — there is no public pricing, no self-serve e-commerce for custom work, and no disclosed recurring contracts. A separate stock-product e-commerce storefront (shop.chellis.com and chicagocase.com) handles Pelican TRVL and standard catalog items for SMB/consumer buyers. The company is privately held by MB Hipp LLC (acquired from MPI Corp in 2021), employs 11-50 people, and has no publicly disclosed revenue or external funding; its growth posture is built on tuck-in acquisitions (Howe 2001, Chicago Case 2010, SMOR 2016, Parker Plastics 2021) under a family-of-brands structure.

Name

C.H. Ellis

Legal name

C.H. Ellis LLC d/b/a C.H. Ellis and Chicago Case Company

Website

https://chellis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

C.H. Ellis is an Indianapolis-based custom case manufacturer (founded 1902) producing roto-molded, vacuum-formed, injection-molded, aluminum, and sewn protective cases plus custom foam inserts for aerospace, medical, military, industrial, and field-service clients, also serving as an authorized Pelican distributor.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Protective Case Manufacturing

NAICS

Metal Can, Box, and Other Metal Container (Light Gauge) Manufacturing (33243), All Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (333248)

SIC

Plastics Products, Nec (3089), Metal Shipping Barrels, Drums, Kegs & Pails (3412)

akta.pro primary industry

Blow-Molded Drums, Barrels & IBC Components (IMANAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Injection Blow-Molded Containers (Pharma/Cosmetic Bottles) (IMANAGAB), Blow-Molded Medical & Laboratory Containers (IMANAGAI), Consumer Products Injection Molding (Housewares, Toys, Personal Care) (IMANAFAE)

Keywords

• Custom case manufacturing
• Protective carrying cases
• Industrial packaging solutions
• Custom foam inserts
• Tool control pallets

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Hard Cases: One-time sale of custom-manufactured hard cases including roto-molded, vacuum-formed, injection-molded, blow-molded, and aluminum cases. Sales are project-based with customer-specific designs and tooling.
2. Custom Foam Inserts: Precision-cut custom foam inserts sold as standalone products or integrated with case solutions. Material options include polyethylene, polyurethane, cross-linked PE, anti-static, and specialty foams.
3. Sewn Goods: Custom-designed and manufactured sewn bags, backpacks, carrying cases, and covers using materials including Cordura nylon and ballistic nylon.
4. Tool Pallets: Custom and stock tool control bags and pallets for organizing tools in cases. Features include clear vinyl pockets for inventory visibility.
5. Pelican Products: Resale of Pelican cases (authorized distributor) and customization services including foam inserts, branding, and hardware modifications.
6. Accessories: Case accessories including custom hardware, straps, handles, and organizational components.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

C.H. Ellis designs and manufactures custom protective carrying cases and shipping solutions, including roto-molded, vacuum-formed, injection-molded, blow-molded, aluminum, and EVA hard cases, paired with precision-cut custom foam inserts, sewn bags and tool pallets. The company serves Fortune 500 enterprises, government/military, and specialized industrial buyers with project-based, engineer-supported solutions from its 56,000 square-foot Indianapolis facility, and also serves as an authorized Pelican distributor.

Product overview

C.H. Ellis is a custom case manufacturing company offering a comprehensive portfolio of protective carrying and shipping solutions. The core offerings include Hard Cases (available in vacuum-formed, roto-molded, injection-molded, blow-molded, aluminum, and EVA materials), Custom Foam Inserts (polyethylene, polyurethane, cross-linked PE, anti-static, and specialty foams), Sewn Goods (backpacks, bags, carrying cases), Tool Pallets for organization, and Accessories. The company also distributes Pelican brand cases as an authorized reseller and manufactures sub-brands including Chicago Case (vacuum-formed), Parker Roto-Rugged (rotomolded), and offers Maxado injection-molded alternatives. Custom options include foam inserts, thermoformed trays, branding, and hardware modifications. The company operates from a 56,000 square-foot facility in Indianapolis and serves aerospace, medical, industrial, field service, and military industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hard Cases Engineered aluminum, blow-molded, EVA, injection-molded, roto-molded, and vacuum-formed cases designed to protect and transport equipment for aerospace, medical, military, industrial, and field-service customers.
• Custom Foam Inserts
• Sewn Goods
• Tool Pallets
• Case Accessories
• Aluminum Hard Cases
• Blow-Molded Hard Cases
• Injection Molded Cases (Pelican and Maxado)
• Rotomolded Hard Cases (Parker Roto-Rugged)
• Vacuum Thermoformed Cases (Chicago Case)
• EVA (Semi-Rigid) Cases
• Pelican Cases (Authorized Distribution)
• Thermoformed Tray Inserts

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 years of continuous operation since 1902
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PelicancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorC.H. Ellis is an authorized Pelican distributor located near Pelican's Indiana distribution center. Offers the full Pelican product line including Air, Protector, Storm, and Vault cases with custom foam, branding, and system integration services. Strategic proximity enables fast delivery and cost savings on inventory.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pelican Products: Pelican is the dominant injection-molded protective case brand and C.H. Ellis' primary distribution partner. Pelican competes directly in roto-molded and injection-molded cases (Hardigg, Air, Protector lines) and is the benchmark C.H. Ellis benchmarks its custom builds against.
• ZARGES: ZARGES is a European leader in aluminum cases and containers used across military, medical, and industrial logistics. C.H. Ellis' TIG-welded rigidized aluminum cases compete head-to-head with ZARGES in defense, medical, and professional audio cases.
• SKB Cases: SKB manufactures roto-molded and injection-molded cases for music, pro audio, military, and industrial applications, mirroring C.H. Ellis' custom-and-stock hybrid model. Direct overlap on roto-molded and rack cases makes SKB a head-to-head competitor in multiple segments.
• Gator Cases: Gator Cases produces a broad line of molded cases, EVA cases, and sewn bags for music, pro AV, and industrial markets. Their mix of molded and soft goods parallels C.H. Ellis' hard case plus sewn goods portfolio, especially in the field-service and pro-AV segments.
• CP Cases: CP Cases is a UK-based custom case manufacturer serving defense, medical, broadcast, and industrial customers. Their full custom design-and-build model, including CNC foam and sewn soft cases, is highly analogous to C.H. Ellis' integrated manufacturing platform.
• Nanuk: Nanuk designs and markets injection-molded protective cases for photography, industrial, and tactical applications, directly competing with C.H. Ellis' Pelican-sourced and custom injection-molded SKUs. Their brand-led, design-forward approach is a comparable go-to-market archetype.
• B&W International: B&W produces injection-molded outdoor, industrial, and tactical cases as well as custom foam solutions. Their integrated case-plus-foam offering closely tracks C.H. Ellis' core hard-case and custom foam insert value proposition.

Emerging players

• HPRC (Hard Resin Composite Cases): HPRC designs resin-composite protective cases for photography, video, military, and industrial applications. Their engineered composite-shell cases compete in the same niches as C.H. Ellis' custom roto-molded and injection-molded offerings.
• Plastica Panaro: Italian manufacturer of injection-molded and roto-molded cases for outdoor, tactical, and industrial use. Overlaps with C.H. Ellis in roto-molded and injection-molded product lines and represents a growing European alternative in the global protective case market.

Others

• W. W. Grainger: Grainger is a large industrial distributor of cases, tool storage, and MRO supplies. While not a custom manufacturer, Grainger is a downstream channel and competitor-for-spend that C.H. Ellis targets in industrial and field-service segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chellisco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 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 C.H. Ellis