Crown Holdings
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Packaging |
| Founded | 1892 |
| Founder | William Painter |
| Headquarters | Tampa, Florida , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Aluminum beverage cans, steel and tin food cans, aerosol containers, specialized packaging formats |
Number of employees | 23000+ (2024) |
Crown Holdings, Inc. is a global packaging enterprise based in Tampa, Florida, United States, specializing in rigid metal packaging solutions including aluminum beverage cans, steel and tin food cans, aerosol containers, and other specialized packaging formats. Established in 1892 under the name Crown Cork & Seal Company, it holds the No. 359 position on the 2025 Fortune 500 ranking. As of 2024, Crown employs more than 23,000 individuals operating from 189 manufacturing facilities across 39 countries.
History
The crown cap for carbonated drinks was invented in 1891 by William Painter, a Quaker from Maryland who founded the Crown Cork and Seal Company the following year in Baltimore. By 1898, Painter had created a foot-powered crowner machine that enabled bottlers to seal bottles more efficiently, facilitating wider market acceptance. By 1906, Crown had established production sites in countries including Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
By the 1930s, Crown was responsible for producing half of the world’s bottle caps. The company expanded into the tin can sector in 1936 through the acquisition of Philadelphia’s Acme Can Company. This move led to innovations such as the funnel-shaped Crowntainer beer can launched in 1937.
Following World War I and the end of Prohibition, Crown redirected its efforts towards packaging for soft drinks. During World War II, the company manufactured wartime products such as sealing components and gas mask containers. In 1957, after encountering financial difficulties, John Connelly assumed the presidency and moved the company’s headquarters to Philadelphia. In 2003, Crown reorganized as a publicly traded holding company and divested its plastics operations by selling its Global Plastic Closure and cosmetics packaging divisions between 2005 and 2006.
In August 2023, Crown enhanced its beverage can manufacturing capacity by acquiring Helvetia Packaging’s production plant located in Saarlouis, Germany.
Regions
- Americas Division: Operating out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this division serves markets across North, Central, and South America with 46 plants employing approximately 5,600 staff producing aerosol containers, beverage cans, food packaging, specialty packaging, and metal closures.
- European Division: Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, this division covers Europe, Africa, and the Middle East with a network of 71 plants staffed by around 11,200 employees engaged in manufacturing aerosol products, beverage and food packaging, specialty packaging, and metal closures.
- Asia Pacific Division: Based in Singapore and serving the Asia Pacific region through 32 plants with about 4,300 employees focused on aerosol containers, beverage cans, food packaging solutions, and metal closures.
See also
- Crown cork
- King C. Gillette, whose sales experience at Crown Cork and Seal inspired him to invent the disposable safety razor blade