The Melville Group and the Contract Packaging Association Announce CoPackConnect.com, connecting brands with more external manufacturing providers

Chicago IL November 3, 2024  Today, at Pack Expo International, the Contract Packaging Association (CPA)  and The Melville Group (TMG)  announced a strategic relationship and new technology platform: CoPackConnect.com. This AI-enabled sourcing solution helps brands and private labels better search for and connect with external production solutions. Developed by TMG, CoPackConnect.com is exclusively endorsed by the CPA.

The platform, CoPack Connect, is a purpose-built, AI-enabled online marketplace designed around the needs of brands and manufacturers. It enables brands to find external manufacturing resources more efficiently. CoPack Connect is completely free for brands and private labels and also has a free level for all manufacturers. The beta version, launching today, contains thousands of detailed product profiles and manufacturers. These datasets are scaling rapidly.

“A huge list of products and providers is not the hard part, nor does it address the core frictions. During 25 years of connecting brands and external manufacturers, I’ve seen tech platforms evolve, yet these problems still exist. CoPack Connect, powered by AI-RFQ, is based on decades of brand and manufacturer input and solves these problems at a fraction of the cost of other platforms. ” said Carl Melville, managing partner of TMG and owner of CoPackConnect.com.

The site also hosts The Emerging Brands Resource Center, offering emerging brands a wealth of resources to help them establish and navigate external manufacturing relationships.  

“Brands are more reliant on external manufacturing than ever before. Food/CPG contract manufacturing and packaging crossed the $100B threshold in 2023, excluding private label. Both continue to grow at double-digit rates. CoPack Connect represents a robust and focused solution for brands and manufacturers, enabling superior sourcing alternatives, improved speed-to-market, greater innovation, and more efficient production capacity utilization. It’s a game changer for brands, private labels, and external manufacturers.” Said Ron Puvak, Executive Director of the CPA.

According to TMG and CPA, the product released today, in beta, begins a technology roadmap that will continue to add value to brands, private labels, and external manufacturers. Brands, private labels, and manufacturers can begin registering today at CoPackConnect.com.

About the CPA The Contract Packaging Association (CPA) is the industry’s leading organization of manufactuers and packagers, providing essential networking, education, and business development resources through industry intelligence, RFQ opportunities, events, and specialized programs. Since 1992, CPA has been instrumental in supporting the growth of an industry that consistently outpaces the sectors it serves. CPA is also adding brands of all sizes to its membership base. More information on CPA can be found at contractpackaging.org.

About The Melville Group Formed in 2008 by Carl Melville, The Melville Group (TMG) is the industry’s leading industrial marketing and research firm, exclusively serving food/CPG contract manufacturers and their private equity owners. The company also publishes the bi-annual State of the Industry Report, the best-selling report in the contract packaging and manufacturing industry since 2017. More information on TMG can be found at melvillegroup.com. More information on the State of the Industry report can be found at contractpackagingreport.com. More information on CoPack Connect can be found at CoPackConnect.com.