NAICS 326160 Quarterly Industry Report
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 326160Sector: 32Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 326160 provides business owners, acquirers, and financial advisors with data-driven valuation insights for the plastics bottle manufacturing sector, drawing on data from the U.S. Census Bureau[5] and EPA[8] plastics recycling statistics. Additional data is drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics[9].. The report aggregates transaction multiples, financial benchmarks, and market trends specific to NAICS 326160 establishments, supporting buy-sell agreements, succession planning, SBA-financed acquisitions, and litigation support engagements.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the plastics bottle manufacturing industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing (NAICS 326160) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing plastics bottles using blow molding, injection stretch blow molding, and extrusion blow molding processes. Products include PET beverage bottles, HDPE milk and juice containers, HDPE household chemical bottles, PET personal care product bottles, and pharmaceutical-grade plastics bottles. According to the U.S. Census Bureau[5], this classification covers bottle production operations serving beverage, food, household chemical, personal care, and pharmaceutical packaging markets.
Manufacturing processes include injection stretch blow molding (ISBM) for PET beverage bottles, extrusion blow molding (EBM) for HDPE household and industrial containers, injection blow molding (IBM) for small pharmaceutical and personal care bottles, and two-stage reheat blow molding using purchased PET preforms. The Bureau of Labor Statistics[6] identifies production occupations including blow mold operators managing cavity pressure, temperature, and cycle times; preform injection operators controlling shot weight and wall distribution; quality inspectors performing burst testing, top load testing, and dimensional verification; and mold maintenance technicians servicing multi-cavity tools.
Per the SBA Office of Advocacy[7], plastics bottle producers operate in a market shaped by beverage and consumer goods demand patterns. PET resin pricing, which tracks crude oil and paraxylene markets, remains the dominant cost variable. Growing recycled content mandates in multiple states push producers to incorporate post-consumer recycled PET (rPET) into bottle production, requiring additional sorting, cleaning, and material qualification capabilities.
What's Included in This Industry
- Valuation multiples benchmarked to plastics bottle manufacturing operations
- Revenue and EBITDA trends for domestic bottle production facilities
- SBA lending data and financing terms for NAICS 326160 businesses
- Comparable transaction data from recent bottle manufacturing acquisitions
- Industry risk factors including PET resin pricing, recycled content mandates, and customer concentration
- Workforce composition and labor cost benchmarks for blow molding operations
- Regional market analysis covering major bottle production centers
- Capital expenditure benchmarks for blow molding machines and mold tooling
- Customer segment analysis across beverage, household chemical, and personal care markets
- Owner compensation and discretionary earnings benchmarks
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Subsector | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 326 |
| Industry Group | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 3261 |
| NAICS Industry | Plastics Bottle Manufacturing | 32616 |
| National Industry | Plastics Bottle Manufacturing | 326160 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 326199 | All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing | All other plastics product manufacturers producing rigid containers, closures, and packaging items through injection molding and thermoforming rather than blow molding processes |
| 326111 | Plastics Bag and Pouch Manufacturing | Plastics bag and pouch manufacturers producing flexible packaging that competes with rigid bottle formats in certain beverage and consumer product packaging applications |
| 325211 | Plastics Material and Resin Manufacturing | Plastics material and resin producers manufacturing PET, HDPE, and polypropylene resins consumed as primary feedstock in bottle blow molding operations |
| 326112 | Plastics Packaging Film and Sheet (including Laminated) Manufacturing | Plastics packaging film producers supplying shrink sleeve labels and overwrap film products consumed by bottle manufacturers for secondary packaging and labeling |
| 327110 | Pottery, Ceramics, and Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing | Pottery, ceramics, and plumbing fixture manufacturers producing glass bottles and containers that compete with plastics bottles in premium beverage and food markets |
| 332112 | Nonferrous Forging | Nonferrous metal stamping producers manufacturing aluminum bottle closures, caps, and container components used alongside plastics bottles in packaging systems |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 11.2% | 52 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 7.6% | 35 |
| 3 | Ohio | 7.3% | 34 |
| 4 | Texas | 6.3% | 29 |
| 5 | Illinois | 6.0% | 28 |
| 6 | Georgia | 5.4% | 25 |
| 7 | Florida | 5.2% | 24 |
| 8 | Missouri | 4.8% | 22 |
| 9 | Indiana | 3.9% | 18 |
| 10 | New Jersey | 3.7% | 17 |
% Of Establishments
0%
11%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
SBA Lending Summary
16
Total SBA Loans
$8.4M
Total Loan Volume
$525K
Average Loan Size
10 yrs
Average Loan Term
12.13%
Average Interest Rate
80
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[4]
Key Insight: Plastics bottle manufacturers qualify as small businesses under the SBA size standards[10] for NAICS 326160, which set the threshold at 1,250 employees, one of the highest in the plastics converting sector. The SBA 7(a) loan program[11] supports acquisitions of existing blow molding operations and working capital for PET and HDPE resin purchases, while the CDC/504 loan program[12] provides long-term fixed-rate financing for blow molding machines, multi-cavity molds, and in-plant warehousing. Lenders assess customer contract terms, resin pass-through provisions, and recycled content processing capabilities when underwriting bottle manufacturing loans.
Top SBA Lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Avg Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tioga-Franklin Savings Bank | 8 | $8.0M | $1.0M |
| 2 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 8 | $400K | $50K |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What types of businesses are classified under NAICS 326160?
NAICS 326160 covers manufacturers that produce plastics bottles through blow molding processes. Products include PET beverage bottles, HDPE milk and juice containers, household chemical bottles, personal care product bottles, and pharmaceutical-grade containers. Per the U.S. Census Bureau[13], the classification covers bottle manufacturing only; other rigid plastics containers like tubs, trays, and jars fall under 326199.
How is the plastics bottle manufacturing industry structured?
The industry concentrates among large producers operating high-cavity blow molding machines near major beverage and consumer goods filling operations, complemented by smaller custom bottle producers serving regional brands and specialty applications. Large producers achieve scale through multi-cavity tooling running millions of bottles per day. Smaller producers compete through rapid mold changeovers, custom bottle designs, and flexibility to serve shorter production runs.
What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 326160?
The SBA classifies a plastics bottle manufacturer as a small business if it employs fewer than 1,250 workers, one of the highest employee thresholds in the plastics products sector. Per the SBA size standards table[10], this threshold reflects the capital-intensive, high-volume nature of bottle blow molding operations.
What NAICS codes are most closely related to 326160?
Code 326199 covers other rigid plastics containers and products. Code 326111 addresses flexible bag and pouch packaging that competes with bottles in some applications. Many 325211 covers the resin producers supplying PET and HDPE feedstock. Per the Census Bureau[13], the bottle-specific blow molding focus distinguishes 326160 from the broader plastics product classifications.
What industries interact most with plastics bottle manufacturers?
Soft drink producers (312111) and bottled water companies (312112) drive the largest share of PET bottle demand. Household chemical brands consume HDPE bottles. Personal care companies use PET and HDPE containers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics[6], beverage production volumes are the single strongest demand indicator for plastics bottle manufacturing output.
What specific activities fall under NAICS 326160?
Covered activities include injection stretch blow molding of PET bottles, extrusion blow molding of HDPE containers, injection blow molding of pharmaceutical bottles, two-stage reheat blow molding from purchased preforms, preform injection molding, and in-line integration of bottle production with filling and capping where the primary activity remains bottle manufacturing.
Are plastics bottle manufacturers eligible for SBA loans?
Yes, bottle producers with fewer than 1,250 employees qualify for SBA financing. The SBA 7(a) program[11] covers business acquisitions and working capital for resin inventory, while the CDC/504 program[12] finances blow molding machines, multi-cavity mold tooling, and ancillary equipment with favorable long-term terms.
Where are plastics bottle manufacturing operations concentrated in the U.S.?
Bottle production locates near major beverage filling operations to minimize freight on empty bottles. California, Texas, the Midwest, and the Southeast host significant blow molding capacity near bottling plants. Per the Census Bureau[14], states with large beverage and consumer goods manufacturing bases support the highest concentrations of bottle production facilities.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) Loan Program Data data.sba.gov
- [5]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [6]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [7]SBA Office of Advocacy advocacy.sba.gov
- [8]EPA epa.gov
- [9]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [10]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [11]SBA 7(a) loan program sba.gov
- [12]CDC/504 loan program sba.gov
- [13]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [14]Census Bureau data.census.gov
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