O-I Glass

O-I Glass, Inc.

Company type	Public
Industry	Glass container manufacturing
Founded	1929
Founder	Michael Joseph Owens (as Owens Bottle Company in 1903)
Headquarters	Perrysburg, Ohio , United States
Area served	North America, South America, Asia-Pacific, Europe
Key people	Gordon Hardie (CEO)
Products	Glass containers
Revenue	$7.1 billion (2024)
Net income	$104 million (2024)
Number of employees	23,000 (2024)

O-I Glass, Inc. stands as a prominent American producer of glass containers, commanding the largest share of the glass container market across North America, South America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. Its expansion notably accelerated following the 2004 acquisition of BSN Glasspack.

Company

Operating under the legal name Owens-Illinois, Inc., the organization adopted the O-I brand in 2005 to present a unified identity for its worldwide operations. Since relocating its headquarters to Perrysburg, Ohio in 2006 (previously based in Toledo), O-I traces its origins back to the Owens Bottle Company, established in 1903 by Michael Joseph Owens—an innovator recognized for inventing the first automated bottle-making machine. The 1929 consolidation with Illinois Glass Company resulted in Owens-Illinois, Inc., which subsequently merged with Corning Incorporated in 1935 to form Owens Corning.

Historically involved in plastics packaging, O-I divested this division to UK-based Rexam in 2007, refocusing exclusively on glass production to strengthen its position within the packaging sector.

Financially robust, O-I reported revenues of $7.1 billion and a net income of $104 million in 2024. The company employs around 23,000 individuals globally and operates through a network of subsidiaries across several continents.

O-I has maintained a significant presence on major stock market indices: it was among the original constituents of the S&P 500 in 1957 and has appeared intermittently since then; it was also part of the Dow Jones Industrial Average until 1987. Strategic acquisitions have been central to its growth, including the $2.15 billion acquisition of Vitro’s food and beverage glass container division in 2015, which bolstered its market position.

In 2020, O-I isolated asbestos-related liabilities within its subsidiary Paddock Enterprises, which filed for bankruptcy protection to safeguard the core glass manufacturing business and preserve financial health.

Under the leadership of CEO Gordon Hardie, O-I pursues strategic initiatives focused on maintaining industry dominance through innovation, operational excellence, and expansion of its global footprint.

Website:

Partnership with NEG

From the 1970s until the mid-1990s, Owens-Illinois collaborated with NEG (Nippon Electric Glass) to manufacture glass television screens at facilities located in Columbus, Ohio and Pittston, Pennsylvania. Eventually, these operations were taken over by Techneglas.

Environmental issues

Although Owens-Illinois discontinued production of asbestos-containing products in 1958, it manufactured KAYLO asbestos thermal pipe insulation between 1948 and 1958. The company continues to face numerous asbestos-related lawsuits within the United States linked to this legacy.

In August 2023, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued a fine against Owens-Illinois’ Oregon facility due to repeated violations concerning emissions—the tenth penalty imposed on this plant.

Anti-Labor issues

In 2023, O-I Glass faced sanctions from the Federal Trade Commission for enforcing unlawful non-compete agreements on former employees.

See also

• In-mould labelling
• Manufacturing of glass containers
• Glass

External links

• Vintage glass container trademarks by O-I