Sonoco Products Company

Sonoco Products Company (NYSE: SON) is a global designer, developer, and manufacturer of highly engineered and sustainable packaging solutions serving multiple end markets worldwide. Founded in 1899 as the Southern Novelty Company in Hartsville, South Carolina, Sonoco has evolved into a multi-billion dollar enterprise with approximately 265 locations across 37 countries and roughly 22,000 full-time equivalent employees as of December 31, 2025. The company's website is www.sonoco.com.

The company operates through two primary reportable segments: Consumer Packaging, which accounted for approximately 65 percent of consolidated net sales in 2025, and Industrial Paper Packaging, representing 30 percent of sales. A small All Other category comprises the remaining 5 percent. Consumer Packaging produces rigid packaging including paper, metal, and plastic containers primarily serving food, beverage, household, personal care, and pharmaceutical markets. Metal cans and rigid paper containers represent the largest revenue-producing product groups. Industrial Paper Packaging manufactures paperboard tubes, cores, cones, and cans along with paper-based protective materials, supported by 19 paper mills with 25 paper machines globally. The segment also operates 16 recycling facilities in the United States with capacity to manufacture approximately 1.8 million tons of recycled paperboard annually.

Sonoco's vertical integration strategy leverages its paper manufacturing operations as a primary raw material source, with approximately 56 percent of manufactured paper used internally. The company maintains direct sales relationships with customers through dedicated sales staff and customer service centers, with product distribution typically occurring directly from manufacturing plants to customers.

The company's competitive advantages include technological leadership, reputation for quality, global operational presence since 1923, and vertical integration capabilities. Sonoco serves some of the world's best-known brands and maintains a portfolio of registered trademarks including Sonoco, Sonotube, and Sonopost. The company completed the acquisition of Eviosys, Europe's leading food cans and closures manufacturer, in December 2024, significantly expanding its metal packaging capabilities. Sonoco divested its Thermoformed and Flexibles Packaging business and Trident business to Toppan Holdings in April 2025 and its ThermoSafe temperature-assured packaging business to Arsenal Capital Partners in November 2025, substantially completing its portfolio transformation strategy.