Timeline

Timeline

The founding spirit of the Ball brothers lives on today, from our metal beverage packaging to our cutting-edge aerospace division. Our approach has always been “We Can!” and in the 21st century, we remain true to our roots.

Below you’ll find highlights from our last 50 years and if you’re interested, you can download our popular History of Ball poster for a fun review of our century-plus of innovation.



2010
Ball acquires Neuman Aluminum, the leading North American manufacturer of aluminum slugs used to make extruded aerosol cans, beverage bottles, aluminum collapsible tubes, and technical impact extrusions; and Aerocan S.A.S., a leading supplier of aluminum aerosol cans and bottles in Europe. Ball becomes the largest supplier of aluminum slugs in the world.

2009
Ball acquires four metal beverage can plants from AB InBev, making Ball the largest supplier of beverage cans in the world.

2006
Ball acquires U.S. Can, a U.S.-based aerosol and specialty metal packaging company, and merges it with Ball’s metal food-packaging operations to form the metal food and household products packaging division.

2002
Ball acquires Schmalbach-Lubeca AG, the German-based metal-can beverage company, and creates Ball Packaging Europe, boosting Ball’s beverage can sales by more than $1 billion.

1998
Ball acquires the metal-container beverage assets of Reynolds Metals Company, making Ball the largest supplier of metal beverage cans in North America, and one of the largest in the world.
1998
Ball Corporate headquarters relocated from Muncie, Ind., to Broomfield, Colo.

1997
Ball acquires M.C. Packaging Ltd. in China. MCP, combined with Ball’s FTB Packaging Ltd. joint venture in China, makes Ball the largest supplier of cans in that nation.

1996
Ball-Foster Glass Container Co. creates a joint-venture glass company with Group Saint Gobain, in September 1995. Ball sells its remaining interest in Ball-Foster to Group Saint Gobain in 1996 and exits the glass business.

1995
Ball’s aerospace business converts to a wholly owned subsidiary, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Broomfield, Colorado.
1993
Ball acquires Heekin Can, Inc. Heekin is the largest regional manufacturer of metal food containers in the U.S. prior to the acquisition. Combined with Ball Packaging Products Canada, Inc.’s six plants, the eleven former Heekin plants make Ball the third-largest producer of metal food-and-aerosol cans in the North American market.

 

Ball
Corporation
(NYSE: BLL)

 

 1973
Ball listed on New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol "BLL"
1969
Company name changed to Ball Corporation.

 

1969
Ball acquires the Jeffco Manufacturing Company in Denver and forms metal beverage container operations.
1956
Ball forms the Ball Brothers Research Corporation. Known today as Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., the corporation produces space systems engineering products, telecommunications technology, and electro-optics and cryogenics materials for government and commercial customers.
1922
Company name changes to Ball Brothers Company
1886
Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company was incorporated.
1880
Frank and Edmund Ball start the Wooden Jacketed Can Company in Buffalo, New York.