Sonoco Products Company is a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions, designing, developing, and manufacturing highly engineered packaging for multiple end markets. Founded in 1899 as the Southern Novelty Company, Sonoco has evolved from producing paper yarn carriers into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise operating in 37 countries. The company focuses on delivering integrated packaging solutions that enhance brand value, improve product quality, and support…
Sonoco Products Company is a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions, designing, developing, and manufacturing highly engineered packaging for multiple end markets. Founded in 1899 as the Southern Novelty Company, Sonoco has evolved from producing paper yarn carriers into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise operating in 37 countries. The company focuses on delivering integrated packaging solutions that enhance brand value, improve product quality, and support sustainability goals. Sonoco’s portfolio spans rigid paper, metal, and plastic packaging, serving industries such as food, beverage, household products, pharmaceuticals, and industrial goods.
Sonoco generates revenue through the sale of packaging products and related services, including rigid paper containers, metal cans, tubes, cores, and protective packaging. The company operates on a built-to-order model, aligning production with customer forecasts to minimize backlog. Revenue is derived from direct sales to manufacturers and brands, with a significant portion tied to consumer staples markets. Vertical integration plays a key role, as Sonoco produces much of its own recycled paperboard and sources raw materials like steel, aluminum, and recovered paper from external suppliers.
The company operates through the following segments.
- Consumer Packaging: This segment designs and manufactures rigid packaging solutions, including paper, metal, and plastic containers, primarily for the food, beverage, household, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries. It accounted for 65% of consolidated net sales in 2025, driven by strong demand for metal cans and rigid paper containers. The segment expanded significantly with the 2024 acquisition of Eviosys, Europe’s leading food cans, ends, and closures manufacturer, which now operates as Sonoco Metal Packaging in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
- Industrial Paper Packaging: This segment produces recycled fiber-based products such as paperboard tubes, cores, cones, cans, partitions, and protective materials. It serves consumer staples, consumer discretionary, and industrial markets, including construction, appliances, and apparel. The segment represented 30% of net sales in 2025 and benefits from vertical integration, with 19 paper mills supplying over half of its raw material needs. Sonoco’s recycling facilities further support its circular economy strategy by reprocessing materials for reuse.
- All Other: This category includes the company’s remaining industrial and specialty plastics business, which accounted for 5% of net sales in 2025. Following the divestiture of its temperature-assured packaging business, ThermoSafe, in late 2025, this segment will be absorbed into Industrial Paper Packaging in 2026, simplifying the company’s reporting structure.
Sonoco holds a strong position in the global packaging industry, competing in highly fragmented markets across paper, metal, and industrial packaging. The company differentiates itself through vertical integration, technological innovation, and a commitment to sustainability. Its ability to serve multinational customers with consistent quality and timely delivery is a key competitive advantage. Major competitors include packaging giants like International Paper, Ball Corporation, and Crown Holdings, as well as regional players in specialty packaging. Sonoco’s focus on productivity improvements, cost efficiency, and portfolio simplification—such as the recent divestitures of non-core businesses—strengthens its market position and supports long-term growth.
Sonoco serves a diverse customer base, including some of the world’s best-known brands in food, beverage, household products, and pharmaceuticals. In 2025, the five largest customers in the Consumer Packaging segment accounted for 23% of that segment’s net sales, while the top five in Industrial Paper Packaging represented 11%. No single customer contributed more than 10% of consolidated revenue. The company’s direct sales model and global footprint enable it to partner with multinational corporations, supporting their packaging needs across multiple regions and product lines.