CPA and F4SS create unified co-man, brand owner resource

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CPA and F4SS create unified co-man, brand owner resource

16 Jul 2025

Mari Rydings

Mari Rydings is a versatile content creator, editor and marketer with experience developing dynamic, results-driven materials for B2B and B2C audiences. As the editorial director for Avant Food Media, she leads the day-to-day editorial operations for the company’s print and digital magazines, newsletters and social media platforms. Outside of work, she loves reading, hiking, putting together jigsaw puzzles and spending time with her husband and their twin daughters.

Herndon, VA — Food and CPG contract manufacturers and brand owners will soon have access to a unified platform of resources following the Contract Packaging Association (CPA)’s strategic inclusion of the Foundation for Supply Chain Solutions (F4SS). The organizations will merge under the CPA name, which is expected to be completed by September.

By combining resources, the two complementary associations will represent the sector’s largest and most diverse manufacturing and brand trade association in a market projected to reach $130 billion by 2028.

The move comes at a time when manufacturers and brands are navigating unprecedented private label growth; an increasing number of emerging brands; and evolving regulatory requirements around food safety, sustainability and labeling.

“The industry is evolving at breakneck speed,” said Ron Puvak, executive director of CPA. “Private label growth, emerging brand innovation and shifting consumer preferences require contract manufacturers and brands to be more strategic, more agile and more connected than ever before. This merger creates the comprehensive platform our members need to thrive in this new reality.”

Enhanced member value

The integration combines CPA’s 30-year legacy in contract packaging with F4SS’s specialized expertise in supply chain optimization. This encompasses managing complex brand-external manufacturer relationships, including proprietary benchmarking tools that help members optimize operations for everything from high-volume private label contracts to small-batch emerging brand partnerships.

Members will benefit from:

Deeper industry intelligence. Combined membership base provides unprecedented market visibility across traditional brands, private label operations and emerging companies.
Broader network access. A unified directory connects contract manufacturers with a diverse range of brand decision-makers from Fortune 500 companies to startup innovators.
Regulatory navigation. Enhanced resources help members adapt to evolving food safety, sustainability and labeling requirements.
Innovation acceleration. Joint initiative teams drive faster implementation of technologies needed to serve various client bases.

“Our combined manufacturing and brand membership base represents the full spectrum of today’s CPG ecosystem,” said Michele Cerminaro, former F4SS executive director and now the director of strategic partnerships for CPA. “This diversity adds tremendous depth and value … members gain insights from private label efficiency experts, emerging brand innovators, and traditional manufacturing leaders all under one platform.”

Current F4SS members automatically receive full CPA membership benefits, while CPA members gain access to F4SS’s strategic sourcing tools and benchmarking resources.

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