Sonoco success story South Carolina is home to a Fortune 500 packaging leader 

From a team of 12 in a rented warehouse to Fortune 500 status with an international team of approximately 23,000 across more than 300 operations, Sonoco proudly serves some of the world’s best-known brands with industrial and consumer packaging. With global headquarters in Hartsville, SC, the packaging solutions company has grown exponentially with the support of the SC programs and skilled workforce. The Sonoco team attributes its success in South Carolina to the appealing lifestyle, technology school system and low corporate tax rate.

Hartsville, SC
22,000+

employees

265

facilities

4,000+

patents

37+

countries

Ever-iterating and innovating to meet today’s needs 

Innovation can be found throughout the Sonoco organization—from production efficiencies to consumer insights. The company’s philosophy of insights, ideation, invention, integration, interactions and iteration keeps products and processes relevant to the needs of the consumer and the marketing environment. In the spirit of innovation, the Sonoco team, along with the S.C. Department of Commerce Recycling Market Development team partners with the University of South Carolina Office of Career Services to provide experiential learning to students.

1899 Opens for business in Hartsville as the Southern Novelty Company
1958 $10 million Announcement of Darlington County plant
2011 $1 million expansion at the recycling plant in North Charleston
2022 Completes the $125 million investment in machinery updates
2024-25 $3.9 billion Eviosys acquisition

Sonoco and South Carolina partnership 

Innovation and efficiency require expansion. In 2011, Sonoco announced plans to upgrade its Darlington County plant with a $100 million investment that would add jobs and update machinery. With emission control technology in mind, two coal-fired boilers were replaced as well as machinery that produces corrugated paperboard. SC Commerce partnered to provide tax advantages for these large equipment investments. 

“South Carolina produces world class leaders, designers and engineers. Sonoco has grown    to become South Carolina’s largest publicly traded firm, by annual sales (as of 2018).”

Company backgrounder

Looking for success for your business? 

Look no further. Contact the SC Commerce team.

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