Chicago Mailing Tube

Name

Chicago Mailing Tube

Legal name

Chicago Mailing Tube Co.

Website

https://mailing-tube.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paper Tube and Core Manufacturing

NAICS

Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing (322211)

SIC

Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650)

akta.pro primary industry

Envelopes & Mailing Products (mailers, padded envelopes) (IMAMAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Folding Carton & Paperboard Packaging Printing (IMALAKAH)

Keywords

• Spiral wound tubes
• Paper core manufacturing
• Mailing tube products
• Custom paper cores
• Industrial winding cores

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Paper Tube and Core Product Sales: Chicago Mailing Tube Co. generates revenue through the manufacture and direct sale of spiral-wound paper tubes, cores, and mailing containers. Products are sold in standard sizes and as custom-manufactured units. There is no minimum order requirement, accommodating both single-tube purchases and bulk wholesale orders. The company ships within 24 hours of order and offers its own truck fleet for local delivery plus third-party carrier integration (USPS, FedEx, UPS) for broader distribution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Chicago Mailing Tube Co. is a Chicago-based manufacturer of spiral-wound paper tubes, paper cores, and mailing containers built from 100% recycled paper materials. Its catalog covers standard and custom mailing tubes (kraft, white, color, heavy-duty, telescopic, self-locking) plus industrial cores (custom cores, tape cores, large-diameter cores) in diameters from 0.5" to 24" and lengths up to 350". All products are manufactured in a single Chicago plant with blade-cut precision tolerances within thousandths of an inch, shipped within 24 hours with no minimum order.

Product overview

Chicago Mailing Tube Co. is a family-owned manufacturer specializing in spiral wound paper tubes, cores, and mailing containers. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products including Kraft Tubes with plastic plugs, White Tubes, Color Tubes (available in nine colors plus custom), Heavy Duty Tubes, Telescopic Tubes, Snap Loc/EZ Loc self-locking crimped-end tubes, Custom Cores, Tape Cores, and Large-Diameter Cores. Products are available in diameters from 1/2" to 24" and lengths up to 350", with custom sizing available. All tubes are made from recycled materials and ship within 24 hours with no minimum order required.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kraft Tubes with Plastic Plugs Standard and custom kraft cardboard tubes with plastic end caps, manufactured for shipping documents, posters, blueprints, and other delicate items through UPS, FedEx, and USPS. Available across the company's standard diameter and length ranges.
• White Tubes with Plastic Plugs White mailing tubes with plastic end caps for shipping and storing documents, posters, blueprints, and similar items via UPS, FedEx, and USPS.
• Color Tubes Colored shipping tubes with plastic ends available in nine standard colors (white, black, red, orange, green, blue, yellow, silver foil, gold foil) with custom colors available for brand-specific packaging.
• Heavy Duty Tubes Sturdy heavy-duty kraft tubes with plastic plugs designed for shipping hardware, drapery rods, antennas, track lighting kits, metal rods, and other bulky items requiring extra protection during transit.
• Telescopic Tubes Two-piece adjustable tubes with telescoping ends allowing expandability, available in standard and heavy-duty versions, suitable for items of varying lengths.
• Snap Loc / EZ Loc Self-Locking Crimped-End Tubes Self-locking kraft tubes with crimped ends that close by pinching and folding — no tape or end caps required — providing a reusable and recyclable seal. Available in kraft or white finishes.
• Custom Cores Custom-manufactured spiral-wound paper cores made to customer specifications with tolerances within thousandths of an inch. Used for plastic and paper converting, textile, film and flexible packaging, roofing felt, nonwovens, gift wrap, and display applications.
• Tape Cores Precision-manufactured cardboard cores for tape dispensers, with smooth clean cuts, tight tolerances, and reduced dust. Standard diameters from 1.015" to 12.025" and lengths from 0.125" to 12".
• Large-Diameter Cores Large-diameter cardboard cores ranging from 15" to 20"+ with walls from 0.125" to 0.750" and lengths up to 350". All large cores are blade-cut for industrial applications including coil and sheet slitting, stainless steel slitting, and coil coating.

Quantifiable outcome

• Orders ship within 24 hours of placement
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Noissue: Noissue is an emerging sustainable packaging company offering custom-branded, eco-friendly shipping and packaging products including tubes. Partially overlaps with CMT's color/branded tube business but with a digitally native, design-led business model.
• EcoEnclose: EcoEnclose is an emerging sustainable packaging supplier focused on 100% recycled and reusable shipping materials for e-commerce brands. Adjacent competitor in eco-friendly shipping supplies with overlapping mailing/shipping product categories but digitally native go-to-market.

Direct peers

• Greif Inc: Greif is a global industrial packaging manufacturer that produces paper tubes, cores, and protective packaging for industrial and consumer markets. Directly comparable to CMT's spiral-wound tube and custom core business but at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Paramount Tube: Paramount Tube manufactures spiral-wound paper tubes and cores for industrial and consumer markets, including mailing, shipping, and tape applications. Comparable niche manufacturer with overlapping product portfolio and custom manufacturing focus.
• Marshall Paper Tube Company: Marshall Paper Tube is a family-owned manufacturer of spiral-wound paper tubes and cores serving industrial and consumer markets. Highly comparable niche manufacturer with similar product range, custom capabilities, and small-scale family operation.
• Yazoo Mills: Yazoo Mills manufactures spiral-wound paper tubes and cores for industrial and consumer applications, including mailing tubes, tape cores, and custom cores. Closely comparable specialty tube manufacturer with similar product breadth and custom manufacturing capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Sonoco Products Company: Sonoco is a diversified global packaging conglomerate with a dedicated paper tubes and cores division serving industrial converting markets. Overlaps with CMT in spiral-wound cores and paper-based protective packaging but operates across many other packaging categories.
• Pratt Industries: Pratt Industries is one of the largest privately held corrugated and paper-based packaging manufacturers in the U.S., with operations in recycled paper and converted packaging. Comparable to CMT as a recycled-paper-focused packaging manufacturer but at much greater scale.
• Smurfit Westrock: Smurfit Westrock is a major paper-based packaging manufacturer with corrugated, containerboard, and consumer packaging lines. Adjacent to CMT's converted paper products but operates at vastly larger scale across multiple paper packaging formats.

Regional players

• U.S. Corrugated, Inc. U.S. Corrugated is a regional manufacturer of corrugated containers and related paper-based protective packaging in the U.S. Midwest. Comparable converted paperboard packaging manufacturer with regional Midwest footprint similar to CMT's Chicago base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-mailing-tube-co

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 Mailing Tube