Sealed Air
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Packaging |
| Founded | 1960 |
| Founder | Alfred W. Fielding, Marc Chavannes |
| Headquarters | Charlotte, North Carolina , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Patrick Kivits (CEO), Dustin Semach (President), Emile Chammas (COO) |
| Products | Bubble Wrap, Cryovac food packaging, protective packaging solutions |
SEE, officially known as Sealed Air Corporation, is a prominent packaging firm recognized for flagship products such as Cryovac food packaging and Bubble Wrap cushioning materials. Generating revenues exceeding $5.5 billion in 2023, the company maintains a worldwide presence with its main office situated in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The leadership team features CEO Patrick Kivits, President Dustin Semach, and COO Emile Chammas. Established in 1960 by innovators Alfred W. Fielding and Marc Chavannes, Sealed Air has evolved into a leading entity within the packaging sector, offering a broad array of solutions across various industries globally.
History
The origins trace back to 1957 when American engineer Alfred W. Fielding and Swiss inventor Marc Chavannes created plastic wallpaper backed with paper. Despite the wallpaper’s commercial failure, they identified its potential utility as protective packaging material and founded Sealed Air in 1960, leveraging their invention of Bubble Wrap. That same year, the company secured $85,000 through its initial public offering. Fielding held the roles of executive vice president and director until his retirement in 1987, while Chavannes primarily contributed as a consultant.
Following a corporate reorganization in 1998, the original Sealed Air combined with W.R. Grace & Co. NY, which subsequently adopted the Sealed Air name, significantly growing by integrating Grace’s assets. In 2002, the corporation resolved bankruptcy and fraud allegations related to this merger by paying $728 million. T.J. Dermot Dunphy served as CEO from 1971 through 2000; under his guidance, sales escalated from $5 million to $3 billion. Dunphy held an Oxford degree and an MBA from Harvard Business School and later chaired Kildare Enterprises.
William Hickey succeeded Dunphy as CEO from 2000 until 2013, having previously occupied positions such as COO, CFO, and general manager of major divisions. Before joining Sealed Air, Hickey was CFO for W.R. Grace’s Latin American operations and worked as a CPA at Arthur Young.
In connection with the 2003 Station nightclub fire, Sealed Air paid $25 million in civil settlements relating to foam products implicated but did not concede liability.
Jérôme Péribère was appointed CEO and president in March 2013. Holding a business economics degree from Sciences Po in Paris and with extensive managerial experience at Dow Chemical (1977–2012), he had also served as Sealed Air’s president and COO prior to becoming CEO.
On July 23, 2014, Sealed Air declared its decision to move its global headquarters to Charlotte, North Carolina. Ted Doheny assumed the CEO role in January 2018.
In May 2023, the company underwent rebranding as SEE while maintaining Sealed Air Corporation as its legal name.
In October 2023, Ted Doheny resigned as CEO; Emile Chammas (COO) and Dustin Semach (CFO) were named interim co-presidents and co-CEOs.
Acquisitions
Sealed Air embarked on its first international expansion in 1970 by acquiring Smith Packaging Ltd., which was later renamed Sealed Air of Canada, Ltd. The following year, it launched Mail Lite padded envelopes by fusing AirCap cushioning with paper.
By 1973, the company diversified beyond bubble technology by introducing Ply-Mask—a pressure-sensitive polyethylene film designed for surface protection. That year also marked its entry into Europe through acquiring a 10% stake in French firm Sibco Universal, S.A., eventually gaining full control and developing the Sealed Air Solar Blanket product.
The acquisition of Instapak foam in 1977 brought expanding polyurethane foam packaging capable of molding around items and filling voids inside shipping containers. Additional acquisitions included Cellu Products Co. and Dri-Loc (1983), Jiffy (1987), Sentinel (1991), Trigon Packaging NZ (1993), and Shurtuff Division of Shuford Mills (1993). In 1994, Sealed Air further expanded by acquiring Hereford Paper and Allied Products Ltd., Sup-Air-Pack, Fill Air, along with packaging companies based in Norway, France, and Italy.
A landmark deal occurred in 1998 when Sealed Air merged with W.R. Grace’s Cryovac Division through a $4.9 billion stock transaction, forming the present-day Sealed Air entity. To bolster its European market position, it purchased Dolphin Packaging for $119 million in 2000.
In October 2011, the company acquired Diversey Holdings but divested it to Bain Capital by September 2017. That same year saw expansion into Asia via acquisition of Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd., a manufacturer specializing in polyethylene foam fabrication.
These targeted acquisitions have broadened Sealed Air’s product offerings, increased market penetration, and enhanced its global reach—solidifying its leadership within the packaging industry.
Operations
Sealed Air's food care segment provides packaging solutions tailored for the food and beverage sectors, whereas its product care segment focuses on manufacturing protective and specialized packaging for a wide range of products.
Bubble Wrap brand
Initially created as an unsuccessful wallpaper concept, Bubble Wrap ultimately found its niche as a packaging material. The first iterations experienced air leakage in the bubbles, but a coating breakthrough in the mid-1960s ensured airtight retention. By 1969, Sealed Air's sales reached $4 million, largely driven by this exclusive product.
Cryovac brand
Cryovac is a flexible plastic film designed for shrink-wrapping numerous items. Available in various thicknesses and strength grades to suit different needs, it is predominantly utilized in food packaging. By removing most of the air, Cryovac helps prevent oxidation and microbial contamination, thereby prolonging freshness and minimizing freezer burn. Originating in the 1950s from Cryovac Inc. in South Carolina, this innovation allowed fresh turkeys to be transported over longer distances during holiday seasons.