How do I present a co-packer’s client contracts to a lender?

Start with the schedule. List each client in a row: the product you pack, the pricing basis, the start date, the end date, the notice period and any exclusivity. A lender reads a table far faster than a stack of PDFs, and gaps show up at once.

Then sort the clients by how much of your revenue each one supplies. A lender will ask what happens if the biggest account leaves, so answer it before they do. Explain what the account needs from your plant, whether the equipment is shared or dedicated, and whether the client could move production easily.

Read each contract for the clauses a lender cares about. Look for change-of-control or assignment wording, minimum volume commitments, who owns ingredients and packaging on the floor, and who carries recall costs. If a client can end the agreement on short notice, say so plainly and show the history of how long that client has actually stayed. Pair the contracts with your financial statements so the revenue per client ties to the books. Where a client has only a verbal arrangement, label it that way and do not present it as a contract.

Key takeaways

• Build a client schedule with term, pricing, renewal and notice before attaching any contract.
• Rank clients by share of revenue and explain what each would need to switch plants.
• Flag assignment and change-of-control wording, and ask your lawyer how it applies to a sale.