CPA, The Association for Contract Packagers and Manufacturers and The Melville Group (TMG) have launched a new, AI-driven RFQ tool called CoPackConnect, designed to help brands and private labels find external manufacturing solutions more efficiently.
CoPackConnect.com is an AI-enabled online marketplace designed to connect brands with external manufacturing resources such as contract manufacturing and contract packaging. When a brand's search criteria align with a registered external manufacturing provider's capabilities, a match occurs, connecting the brand with expert contractors. Criteria can be based on specific factors, such as the type of food item a brand wants to outsource to an external manufacturing partner.
The platform is completely free for brands and private labels and also has a free level for manufacturers.
The new RFQ tool, launched in late 2024, fills a much-needed void, the developers say.
“A huge list of products and providers is not the hard part, nor does it address the core frictions,” said Carl Melville, managing partner of TMG and owner of CoPackConnect.com. “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.”
The developers expect that the new tool will be a game changer for brands, private labels, and external manufacturers.
"Brands are more reliant on external manufacturing than ever before," said Ron Puvak, Executive Director of the CPA. "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."
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.
According to TMG and CPA, the product released today is just the beginning. They plan to continue adding value to the platform for brands, private labels, and external manufacturers. Brands, private labels, and manufacturers can begin registering today at CoPackConnect.com.
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