Cratex Industrial Packing

What Cratex Industrial Packing does

Cratex Industrial Packing Ltd. is a privately held, founder-owned export packing and crating company headquartered in Delta, British Columbia. Founded in 1975 by Joe Pusch, the company has operated continuously for 49+ years from a purpose-built facility that includes 4 acres of paved and electronically-monitored outdoor storage, a 40,000 sq ft indoor manufacturing and storage building, and equipment capable of lifting 100,000+ lbs. The facility is positioned near the Port of Vancouver, rail infrastructure, Vancouver International Airport, and the US border, supporting export flows across ocean, air, rail, and road modes.

The company's core offering is custom export packing and crating built around ISPM 15 certified, FSC-sourced wood, with supplementary services in container loading, transloading, customs bonded warehousing (CBSA licensed), and product protection including shrink wrapping, vacuum sealing, and Cortec VpCI/MCI corrosion inhibition (for which Cratex is the Western Canada agent). Specialized crating solutions target heavy industrial machinery, automotive and vehicle export, motorcycles, trade show exhibits, fine art, and marine equipment. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services and managed storage, with pricing quoted per shipment based on dimensions, weight, fragility, destination, and materials. Distribution is enterprise field sales with free estimates requested via phone and web, supported by a digital marketing presence across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, and a content blog. The company reports 120,000+ projects completed, 167+ clients served, and $2.94B+ in cargo value packaged over its history.

Leadership is concentrated with President & CEO Rob Gagno, CFO Amanda Hobson, founder Joe Pusch, and a small management team including members of the Pusch family in business development and logistics roles. Cratex holds CBSA Customs Bonded Facility licensing, CFIA ISPM 15 approval, and memberships in CIFFA and INPRO Group. There are no disclosed funding rounds, institutional investors, or M&A transactions in the recent record, and ownership remains with the founding family.

Name

Cratex Industrial Packing

Legal name

Cratex Industrial Packing Ltd.

Website

https://cratexgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cratex Industrial Packing is a privately held, founder-owned export packing and crating specialist based in Delta, BC. Since 1975, it has served Western Canadian heavy industry, automotive exporters, and marine clients with ISPM 15 certified custom wooden crates, container loading, transloading, and customs bonded warehousing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Export Packaging & Crating Services

NAICS

Packing and Crating (488991), Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing (321920), Warehousing and Storage (493)

SIC

Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)

akta.pro primary industry

Crates & Cases (Wooden/Plastic/Metal, Export Cases) (IMALAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Packing, Export Crating & Containerization (HSAKACAB), Custom Crating & Export-Grade Packaging (HSAKADAC), Packaging, Repackaging & Co-Packing Services (TLAIAAAG)

Keywords

• Export packing services
• Custom wooden crating
• ISPM 15 packaging
• Container loading services
• Customs bonded warehousing

Headquarters

HQ city

Delta

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Export Packing & Crating Services: Custom crating and packaging services for international shipping. Services include export packing, custom wooden crate manufacturing, container loading, transloading, customs bonded warehouse storage, and product protection (shrink wrapping, vacuum sealing, corrosion control). Revenue is generated through service fees based on shipment size, complexity, and materials required.
2. Warehouse & Storage Services: Temporary indoor, outdoor, and covered storage services. Provides customs bonded warehouse for in-bond shipments and customs sufferance warehouse for inspection purposes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cratex Industrial Packing is a custom export packing and crating company that designs and manufactures ISPM 15 certified, FSC-certified wooden crates and packaging for international and domestic shipping. The company offers an integrated suite of services including custom wooden crating, container loading, transloading, customs bonded warehousing, and product protection (shrink wrapping, vacuum sealing, and Cortec corrosion control) for clients shipping heavy machinery, vehicles, motorcycles, trade show materials, and other goods via ocean, rail, air, or road freight.

Product overview

Cratex Industrial Packing is a physical packaging and crating services company offering a unified suite of export packing and crating solutions. The core offering centers on Custom Wooden Crates (ISPM 15 certified) and Export Packing & Crating services, supplemented by specialized services including Motorcycle Crating, Trade Show Crates, and Heavy Machinery Crating. Supporting services include Container Loading, Transloading, Customs Bonded Warehouse, and Product Protection (encompassing Shrink Wrapping, Vacuum Sealing, and Cortec Corrosion Protection). The company also provides On-Site Services and Storage Services, creating a comprehensive one-stop solution for international shipping protection needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Export Packing & Crating
• Custom Wooden Crates
• Container Loading
• Transloading
• Customs Bonded Warehouse
• Product Protection
• Motorcycle Crating
• Trade Show Crates
• Heavy Machinery Crating
• On-Site Services
• Storage Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 120,000+ projects completed successfully
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• INPRO GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINPRO Group is a unique international network of independent, first-class companies in the export packing industry established in the early 1960s. As a member, Cratex has access to a global network supporting manufacturing supply chains worldwide, providing referrals and collaborative opportunities across the export packing industry.
• CIFFA (Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFounded in 1948 in Montreal, CIFFA is a freight forwarders association with access to approximately 250 freight forwarding companies. Cratex membership facilitates business referrals and access to freight forwarding partners for integrated shipping solutions.
• CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency)coreOthersCratex has been certified and licensed by CBSA as a Customs Bonded Facility. This certification enables Cratex to handle in-bond shipments and provides risk assessment and release services for imported goods at their inland licensed warehouse.
• CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)coreOthersCratex is approved by CFIA for adherence to ISPM (International Standards For Phytosanitary Measures) #15 guidelines for regulating wood packaging material used in international trade. Ensures all crating work conforms to international phytosanitary regulations.
• Cortec CorporationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCratex serves as the Western Canada agent for Cortec corrosion inhibiting products including VpCI (Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors) and MCI (Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors). Cortec is a global leader in innovative, environmentally responsible corrosion control technologies for packaging, metalworking, construction, and electronics industries.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Packaging Corporation of America: Large US corrugated and paperboard packaging manufacturer. Competitor in the broader packaging category, though its focus is on corrugated containers rather than custom ISPM 15 export crating.
• Brambles Limited (CHEP): Global parent of CHEP, the world's largest pallet and container pooling company. While Brambles focuses on pooled/reusable platforms rather than custom crates, it competes in the broader industrial wood packaging space and could pressure Cratex through reusable solutions.
• PalletOne Inc. Large-scale US wooden pallet and container manufacturer. Competes with Cratex in the broader wood packaging category, though its focus is on standard pallets rather than highly customized export crates for heavy machinery.
• Cox Industries: Major US manufacturer of wooden pallets, crates, and industrial wood packaging. Overlaps with Cratex's custom wooden crating work but operates at significantly larger scale across broader industrial markets.

Others

• ContainerPort Group: US-based container drayage and intermodal logistics operator. Operates in adjacent container handling and transportation services that complement Cratex's container loading and transloading offerings rather than directly competing.
• C.H. Robinson: Global third-party logistics and freight forwarding provider. Adjacent rather than direct competitor, but its scale in international freight forwarding and warehousing overlaps with the broader logistics ecosystem in which Cratex operates.

Direct peers

• Atlas Crating & Shipping: North American export packing and crating specialist serving heavy machinery, electronics, and fine art. Directly competes with Cratex in industrial export crating and shares similar services such as custom wooden crates, container loading, and transloading.
• Tri-Wall: Global manufacturer of heavy-duty corrugated and wooden industrial packaging (including Tri-Wall Pak). Tri-Wall is one of the most direct competitors to Cratex in heavy-duty export crating and serves similar industrial and OEM customers worldwide.
• INPRO Group: International network of independent export packing companies founded in the 1960s of which Cratex is a member. Other INPRO members are direct competitors operating export packing and crating services in their own geographies, with shared standards and reciprocal referrals.

Regional players

• Livingston International: Canada's largest customs broker and freight forwarder. While not a direct crating competitor, Livingston is a regional player in the same Canadian trade corridor and ISPM 15-dependent shipping ecosystem, often working alongside Cratex.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cratexgroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcpiF2HbCnWwpFw1oBZ_VQA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CratexGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cratexgroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/cratexgroup

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Cratex Industrial Packing