Sealed Air

In 1957, Alfred W. Fielding and Marc Chavannes set out to create a new wall covering by laminating two plastic sheets with air bubbles in between. Although their invention never caught on as interior decor, the two men discovered their new material’s light weight and insulating properties were very useful—first as greenhouse insulation and then as the packing material we now know as Bubble Wrap®. In 1960, Fielding and Chavannes founded Sealed Air Corporation with Bubble Wrap® as the company’s signature brand.

From the start, Bubble Wrap® was truly revolutionary both as a product and as a value proposition. It could reduce total packaging cost by using less material, reduce package size and weight, and reduce loss from damage. In other words, it promoted sustainability long before it was fashionable. To demonstrate its unique qualities and value, Sealed Air created special laboratories now known as Package Design and Development Centers. These labs also educated our sales force about things like shock and vibration protection and worked with our customers to create superior solutions. From our earliest days, we weren’t just selling products—we were consultants. Today, the concepts of consultative selling and value analysis are the platforms from which we innovate. The success of this approach has allowed us to become a company with approximately 14,000 employees serving customers in 117 countries.

The purchase of Canada’s Smith Packaging, Ltd. in 1970 and its subsequent rechristening as Sealed Air of Canada, Ltd., marked the official arrival of Sealed Air as an international company. The emergence of global growth, environmental awareness and a new era in logistics all played critical roles in shaping our business in the years since.