Military Retail Hero Scene

* Commissaries * Exchanges * Shoppettes * Veterans Canteens * Ship Stores * Military Food Service

The Contract Manufacturing Alliance supports start-up and emerging brands by guiding them through every step of entering contract manufacturing relationships — from identifying the right production partners to structuring agreements that align with growth goals. Beyond manufacturing, the Alliance helps brands understand the broader business landscape, including retail and distribution strategy. This extends into specialized sectors such as the U.S. Military's retail and food service channels, where the Alliance provides insight into how products can reach service members and their families through commissaries, exchanges, ship stores, shoppettes, and military food service systems. Through this comprehensive approach, the Alliance equips young brands not just to make their products, but to build sustainable pathways into diverse and high-volume markets.

Military Retail and Food Service Formats

Commissary
Commissary

A Military Commissary is a grocery store operated by the U.S. Department of Defense that sells food and household goods at cost to eligible military personnel and their families.

Base Exchange
Base Exchange

A Military Exchange is a retail store operated by the U.S. Armed Forces that provides tax-free goods and services to active-duty members, veterans, retirees, and their families.

Veteran Canteen
Veteran Canteen

A Veterans Canteen is a retail and foods operation located within VA medical centers that provides affordable meals, snacks, and essentials to veterans, their families, and VA staff.

Shoppette
Shoppette

A Shoppette is a small c-store operated by a military exchange, typically located on or near a base, offering everyday items like snacks, drinks, and fuel.

Ship Store
Ship Store

A Ship Store is a retail shop aboard a U.S. Navy vessel that sells tax-free personal items, snacks, and toiletries to sailors while at sea or in port.

Food Service
Food Service

Military Food Service is the organized system within the armed forces responsible for preparing, supplying, and managing meals for service members.

The Contract Manufacturing Alliance (Contract Manufacturers, Pilot Plants, Private Labelers, Commercial Kitchens, Food Innovation Centers and More) Was Created to Be the Key Resource For Anything to Do With Manufacturing Consumer Products (For Start-up and Emerging Brands).

Pioneering Industry Standards in Contract Packaging & Manufacturing

Established in 1992, the Contract Packaging Association (CPA) is the national, non-profit trade organization dedicated to promoting the growth and welfare of firms in the Contract Packaging / Manufacturing industry and related businesses. We offer exposure and programs designed to foster growth within our member firms.

Explore Our RFQ Tool

A Century of Expertise in Consumer Product Manufacturing

The Co-Packing Network is a comprehensive national Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) advisory group deeply rooted in the diverse US and Canadian consumer product manufacturing industries. Celebrating our 100-year anniversary, our expansive history spans supermarkets, wholesaling, manufacturing, owning brands, and beyond.

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The CPA's Request for Quote (RFQ) tool allows an automated submission to CPA Members to securely submit their project details and needs. Your Request for Quote will be dispatched to CPA Members whose capabilities match your project needs, and if they can assist you, will contact you directly about their services and capabilities.

The team manages the request all-the-way through to end up with successful results. We also can become a project manager to manage the whole process (search, secure and work with one or more contract manufacturers).

CONTRACT MANUFACTURING ALLIANCE

The Contract Manufacturing Alliance's founders have over 30-years in the consumer products space and are available to help brand groups with their manufacturing and launch needs (start-up, emerging and established).
Recruiting Industry Partners: The The Contract Manufacturing Alliance is recruiting industry partners to join them in helping start-up and emerging brands get into manufacturing relationships as well eventually, launch partner needs.

We are talking with contract manufacturers, pilot plants, food innovation centers, colleges and universities, commercial kitchens, food scientists, distributors, trade associations, ingredient distributors, packaging groups, sales brokers, funding groups and others to join us help start-up and emerging brands.

Our Search By County Tool: Commercial Kitchens

We created the 'Search By County' Tool to help food industry start-ups find the ideal commercial kitchen (also known as a commissary kitchen, kitchen incubator) in their area. We list the commercial kitchens by county and by zip code. Look for our other programs relating to help with working with farmer's markets; our commercial kitchen incubation programs for clients of commercial kitchens and our own efforts helping create new kitchens.

Our family has been involved within the consumer product industry (US based manufacturing, retailing, distribution) since the early 1920’s. From the first generation to the latest, our best practices have been handed down over time leading to a long legacy of successes in the business (manufacturing, retailing, distribution and more).

Some of Our Successes, Shark Tank and More:

The Conzumables Team has been helping start-up and emerging brands since 2008. We have a long list of successes including being involved with over 40 brands seen on Shark Tank.
  • been helping start-up and emerging brands since 2008. The team comes from the largest food companies on the planet (Nestle, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Kellogg’s and Conagra).
  • We have offices in Las Vegas, NV; Honolulu, HI; Dallas, TX and Raleigh, NC.
  • We have internal and external sales offices and partners.
  • We have our own TV shows as well