Ball Corporation

Main article: Ball Corporation

History

Ball Corporation is an American company that makes aluminum products. It started in Buffalo, New York in 1880 as the Wooden Jacket Can Company. The Ball brothers changed the name to the Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company in 1886 and moved to Muncie, Indiana.

At first, Ball made glass jars and lids for home canning. Over time, the company grew and now makes many kinds of aluminum packaging used for drinks and other products. In 1969, the company was renamed Ball Corporation. It became a public company in 1973 and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BLL, which later changed to BALL in 2022.

In 1996, Ball stopped making glass mason jars and left the home canning business. The part of the company that made these jars became a new company called Jarden Corporation. In 2016, Jarden merged with another company called Newell Rubbermaid to become Newell Brands, which still owns the Ball brand for mason jars and home canning supplies.

History

In 1880, Frank C. and Edmund B. Ball borrowed money from their uncle to buy a small company in Buffalo, New York. The company made tin cans with wooden covers for holding things like paint. The brothers soon started using glass instead because it didn’t get damaged by the acid in some liquids.

The Ball brothers began making glass jars for home canning around 1884 after they learned a key patent was ending. They made jars in different sizes and added their logo to the glass. In 1886, the brothers officially named their company Ball Brothers Manufacturing Company. Fires destroyed some of their early factories, but they kept building more.

The brothers moved their main operations to Muncie, Indiana in 1888 because they could get more natural gas there for making glass. By 1889, most of their work was in Muncie. The company kept growing, making millions of jars each year. They later began making other products, including metal lids and rubber seals for the jars.

During the 1940s, Ball started making parts for the military and later moved into making satellites and other space tools. By the 1970s, Ball became a big maker of aluminum cans for drinks and food. Over the years, Ball bought many other companies to grow larger, including ones that make cans and space tools. In 2024, Ball sold its space tools business to focus more on making aluminum cans.

Company milestones

Ball Corporation started in 1880 when Frank and Edmund Ball bought a company in Buffalo, New York. Over time, the company grew and changed its name many times. In 1909, they published a book with recipes and tips for home canning. In 1956, they began making products for space technology. They moved their headquarters to Broomfield, Colorado, in 1998.

The company made many changes over the years, buying and selling different businesses. In 2024, they sold part of their space technology business but bought a new aluminum company. In 2025, they bought a can-making factory in Florida.

Main article: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Jarden, Saint-Gobain, Rexam, Denver, Ball Arena, BAE Systems

Environmental record

Ball Corporation has worked on improving its environmental practices since 2006. In 2008, the company published its first report about being sustainable and has kept sharing these reports online.

Recently, Ball Corporation has been honored as a leader in sustainability. It has been recognized by several organizations, including TIME’s list of the World’s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024, USA Today, and other important lists that celebrate responsible business practices.