Packaging equipment financing
Packaging is rarely one machine. It is a line, bought in stages, and the financing has to match that sequence or you end up paying on a filler that cannot run because the labeler is 90 days out.
Typical ticket
$30K to $2M per line
Term
36 to 84 months
Down payment
0% to 10%
Useful life
10 to 15 years, longer on stainless
Directional ranges, not offers. Funding runs up to 100% of equipment cost at roughly 7% to 18% APR, and your number depends on your credit, revenue, time in business, and the machine itself.
What we place
- Liquid, powder, and auger fillers, cappers, and sealers
- Pressure-sensitive and shrink-sleeve labelers
- Case erectors, case packers, and palletizers
- Shrink tunnels, bundlers, and stretch wrappers
- Conveyor, accumulation tables, and integration labor in some structures
- Vision inspection, checkweighers, and metal detection
What underwriters check on packaging equipment
Line versus single machine
A multi-vendor line is often structured as one master facility with schedules that fund as each piece ships.
Integration and validation labor
Soft costs can be 15% to 25% of a packaging project. Some funders include a capped percentage, many exclude it.
Contract manufacturing volume
A co-packer with signed customer volume behind the line presents far better than one buying speculatively.
Food, beverage, and pharma requirements
Sanitary and validated equipment costs more but holds value better, which supports longer terms.
How the math tends to run
| Line | Illustrative figure |
|---|---|
| Filler, capper, and labeler package | $420,000 |
| Integration and validation | $70,000 |
| Term | 72 months |
| Illustrative rate | 10.5% APR |
| Estimated monthly payment | about $7,900 on the equipment |
An illustration, not a quote. Compare the payment against the labor hours the line removes and the throughput it adds.
What trips these deals up
- Long-lead builds often need progress payments the funder has to agree to in advance.
- Do not start payments before the line runs. Ask for a deferred or step payment structure through commissioning.
- Used packaging equipment varies wildly in condition. A funder may require an inspection.
- Format change parts for a future SKU are easy to forget in the budget and hard to finance later.
How placement works
Start with the Quick App or a call. We identify the right program and institution at no charge, send a tailored secure application, and the institution underwrites the file. You review offers side by side, sign directly with the institution, and funds land. Realistic timing on equipment is 5 to 15 business days.
Manufactor Finance is an independent commercial finance broker. We are not a bank, lender, or investor, and we charge no application, origination, or closing fees. We do not help with grants, grant writing, or grant applications.
Other equipment guides
Packaging equipment financing questions
Yes. The usual structure is one master facility with individual schedules that fund as each vendor ships, so you are not paying on a filler while the labeler is still 90 days out. Tell the funder up front that it is a multi-vendor project so it gets built that way.
Often yes. Deferred payment structures of 60 to 120 days and step payment schedules exist specifically for equipment with a long installation and validation period. They are easier to get approved before signing than to renegotiate after.
Partly. Many funders include soft costs up to a capped percentage of equipment value, commonly 10% to 20%. Anything beyond that cap is cash. On a project with heavy integration, get the cap in writing early so the budget is real.
It depends on the machine. Stainless sanitary equipment from known builders holds value and finances readily. Highly customized machines built around one discontinued SKU are hard to place, because the resale market is thin.
Seasonal and skip payment structures exist, letting you pay more in peak months and less or nothing in slow ones. They cost slightly more overall. For a co-packer with a defined season, the cash flow match usually justifies it.
5 to 15 business days for a straightforward single machine. Multi-vendor lines with progress payments and deferred starts take longer to document, so begin the conversation when you request the quotes, not after you sign them.
Ready to keep production moving?
Start with a quick app or a phone call. We'll tell you exactly what the right program requires. At no charge.
Apply. Fund. Deliver. No obligation.
AI-assistedDepending on live availability, calls may be answered by Mary, our AI Assistant, who takes a message and books a callback. Or email us instead.