CMI

What CMI does

CMI Corporation is a family-owned sales and marketing agency founded in the 1960s and headquartered in Vadnais Heights, Minnesota. The firm represents suppliers and brand owners seeking to enter or expand within North American big-box retail and e-commerce channels, including Walmart, Home Depot, Target, Lowe's, Costco, Amazon, Best Buy, and Sam's Club. Authorized Target+ and Amazon SPN Agency Partner designations enable direct representation on those first-party platforms.

CMI delivers two integrated service lines: Retail Services (support, strategy, management, compliance, e-commerce, and supply chain development) and Branding Services (video production, retail-compliant packaging, product photography, in-store displays, copywriting/SEO, and 3D designs). The company positions itself as taking products "from factory floor to customer door," with a custom-tailored engagement model for each supplier-retailer pair. The team includes former Category Managers and Buyers from the major retailers CMI sells into, providing institutional retail knowledge and pre-existing buyer relationships.

The business operates on a professional-services / commission-based revenue model with quote-based, customized engagements. Headcount is approximately 20 employees spanning the United States, Canada (via a Canadian Sales Manager), and Latin America (via two dedicated LATAM sales directors). The company is privately held with no external institutional investors identified; ownership and senior leadership sit within the Kronstedt family, including CEO Michael Kronstedt and Team Principal Brandon Kronstedt. CMI holds MANA (Manufacturers' National Representatives Association) membership in good standing, and public case studies reference placements at Walmart, Sam's Club, HSN, QVC, Amazon, and Wayfair.

Name

CMI

Legal name

CMI Corporation

Website

https://www.cmicorp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CMI Corporation is a family-owned sales and marketing agency that helps suppliers and brand owners enter and expand within North American big-box retail and e-commerce channels, offering end-to-end retail management and branding services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Travel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sales and Marketing Agency Services: CMI provides sales management and marketing services to suppliers and brand owners, earning revenue through commission-based arrangements or service fees for helping brands get products into retail stores and e-commerce platforms.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CMI is a full-service sales and marketing agency that represents suppliers and brand owners to get their products placed in major North American big box retailers (Home Depot, Lowe's, Costco, Target, Walmart, Sam's Club, Best Buy) and e-commerce platforms (Amazon, Wayfair). The company delivers end-to-end management spanning retail support, strategy, compliance, e-commerce, supply chain development, and branding services (video, packaging, photography, displays, copywriting/SEO, 3D designs). CMI operates as an authorized Target+ Agency Partner and Amazon SPN Agency Partner, leveraging long-tenured retailer relationships and former buyer expertise on its team.

Product overview

CMI is a full-service sales and marketing agency that operates as a unified offering combining Retail Services and Branding Services. Retail Services encompasses support, strategy, management, compliance, e-commerce (including D2C strategy, brand management, account management, and digital marketing), and supply chain development. Branding Services includes video production, retail-compliant packaging, product photography, signs and displays, copywriting and SEO, and 3D designs. These services work together to take products from factory floor to retail shelves and online marketplaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retail Services Comprehensive suite of retail support services including strategic consulting, account management, compliance oversight, e-commerce operations (D2C strategy, brand management, account management, digital marketing), and supply chain development to help suppliers enter and expand within major North American retail and e-commerce channels. For consumer products brands and manufacturers seeking representation with retailers such as Home Depot, Lowe's, Costco, Target, Walmart, Sam's Club, Best Buy, and Amazon.
• Branding Services Creative and marketing services including video production, retail-compliant packaging design, product photography, in-store signs and displays, copywriting, SEO, and 3D imagery to help brands establish market presence and meet retailer creative requirements. For consumer products brands and manufacturers preparing for retail and e-commerce launch.

Quantifiable outcome

• Connected Antop with over 10 key resellers and distributors, resulting in launch at Walmart, Sam's Club, HSN, and QVC
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Target+coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCMI is an authorized Target+ Agency Partner, enabling them to represent brands directly with Target's retail platform and facilitate product placement in Target stores and Target.com.
• Amazon SPNcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCMI is an authorized Amazon SPN (Solution Provider Network) Agency Partner, enabling them to manage and represent brands on Amazon's platform with direct access and support from Amazon.
• MANA (Manufacturers' National Representatives Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member in good standing with the leading trade association for manufacturers' representatives in North America, demonstrating industry credibility and adherence to professional standards.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Acosta Group: Acosta is one of the largest full-service sales and marketing agencies in North America, representing CPG brands across major retailers including Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Amazon. It is the most direct comparable to CMI in terms of retailer relationships, rep services, and brand acceleration mandate.
• Advantage Solutions: Advantage Solutions is a leading sales and marketing agency providing headquarter sales, retail merchandising, and marketing services to CPG brands across grocery, mass, club, and e-commerce channels. Comparable to CMI in serving suppliers seeking placement in big-box retail and digital marketplaces.
• The Mars Agency: The Mars Agency is a retail/shopper marketing agency that helps brands win at retail through shopper insights, category management, and in-store activation. Closely comparable to CMI's category management and retailer activation capabilities.
• The Integer Group: Integer is a Commerce Agency within Omnicom Commerce Group that specializes in retail/shopper marketing, media, and commerce enablement for consumer brands. Comparable to CMI in combining brand strategy with retail execution across big-box channels.
• Connections: Connections is an experience agency that blends shopper marketing, brand activation, and commerce services for major retail and CPG clients. Comparable to CMI's integration of branding services with retail activation and account management.
• BrandMuscle: BrandMuscle provides through-channel marketing automation and brand-to-local marketing services to multi-location brands and the dealer/retail networks that distribute them. Comparable to CMI's work helping suppliers operationalize retail compliance and channel execution at scale.
• Lewis Communications: Lewis Communications is an integrated marketing agency that serves consumer brands across retail, digital, and shopper marketing, with particular strength in helping brands activate at retail. Comparable to CMI in combining creative/branding services with retailer activation.

Broad incumbents

• SGK: SGK (a Matthews International company) is a global brand production and packaging agency that supports CPG brands with retail-compliant packaging, photography, and content at scale. Comparable to CMI's Branding Services line, particularly packaging and imagery for big-box retail.
• GroupM Commerce: GroupM (WPP) operates large-scale commerce and media practices that include Amazon retail media, retailer marketing, and shopper activation for global CPG advertisers. Comparable to CMI's Amazon SPN and Target+ agency capabilities, though at much larger scale and breadth.
• Acosta Sales & Marketing (legacy brand-aligned agencies): Beyond Acosta Group, the broader ecosystem of regional manufacturers' rep firms (e.g., specialty category reps for hardware, electronics, and housewares) collectively compete for the same supplier mandates CMI targets. They represent the fragmented competitive set CMI competes against in category-specific retail battles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/repcmi

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 CMI