This study examines the US market for rigid bulk packaging. Historical data (1996, 2001 and 2006) and forecasts to 2011 and 2016 are presented for drums, pails, material handling containers, bulk boxes and rigid intermediate bulk containers (RIBCs). Markets for these products include chemicals and pharmaceuticals; food; plastic, rubber and fiber products; petroleum and lubricants; agricultural and horticultural products; durable goods; and hazardous waste storage and handling. In many cases, rigid bulk packaging types and markets are further delineated. Historical data and forecasts on the consumption of major rigid bulk packaging raw materials (plastic, steel and paperboard) are also presented. Excluded from this study are pallets and wood containers, and corrugated and solid fiberboard containers other than bulk boxes and corrugated RIBCs. Also excluded from the scope of this study are cans, bottles, jars and tubs used for the packaging of bulk sizes of foods and other consumer goods. Unless otherwise noted, all figures represent either shipments or demand for rigid bulk packaging in units or dollars. The term “shipment” includes production from all US manufacturing establishments that is then shipped to both US and foreign markets. “Demand” (or sales, apparent consumption) is defined as all shipments from US plants, plus imports, minus exports.

INTRODUCTION ix

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

II. MARKET ENVIRONMENT 4
General 4
Macroeconomic Outlook 5
Demographic Trends 8
Manufacturing Outlook 12
Competitive Bulk Packaging 15
Historical Market Trends 17
Pricing Trends 20
Environmental Issues 23
Regulatory Considerations 26
Transport & Handling 27
Other Regulations 29
Foreign Trade 31
International Activity 33

III. MATERIALS 36
General 36
Plastic 39
Steel 44
Paperboard & Wood Panels 47

IV. PRODUCTS 51
General 51
Drums 55
Steel Drums 57
Liners & Coating Technologies 61
Reconditioning & Recycling 62
Markets 64
Producers 67
Fibre Drums 68
Recycling 71
Markets 72
Producers 75
Plastic Drums 77
Reconditioning & Recycling 79
Markets 81
Producers 84
Pails 86
Plastic Pails 87
Markets 89
Producers 92
Steel Pails 93
Markets 96
Producers 99
Material Handling Containers 101
Plastic Totes & Crates 104
Steel Material Handling Containers 107
Markets 110
Producers 113
Bulk Boxes 116
Markets 118
Producers 121
Rigid Intermediate Bulk Containers 124
Plastic Body RIBCs 127
Plastic RIBC Producers 130
Metal Body RIBCs 133
Metal RIBC Producers 135
Other RIBCs 137
Producers of Other RIBCs 139
Markets 141

V. MARKETS 145
General 145
Nondurable Goods 148
Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals 150
Chemical & Pharmaceutical Industry Outlook 151
Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand by Type 155
Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand by Chemical Type 160
Industrial Chemicals 162
Paints & Coatings 165
Detergents & Cleaners 167
Pharmaceuticals 169
Agricultural Chemicals 172
Other 174
Food 177
Food Industry Outlook 178
Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand 180
Plastic, Rubber & Fiber 186
Plastic, Rubber & Fiber Outlook 186
Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand 189
Petroleum & Lubricants 191
Petroleum & Lubricant Outlook 192
Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand 194
Agricultural & Horticultural Products 196
Agricultural & Horticultural Industry Outlook 197
Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand 200
Durable Goods 202
Durable Goods Outlook 203
Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand 206
Other Markets 209

VI. INDUSTRY STRUCTURE 212
General 212
Industry Composition 213
Market Share 217
Greif 218
MAUSER 219
BWAY 220
Menasha 220
Letica 221
Weyerhaeuser 221
Acquisitions & Divestitures 222
Competitive Strategies 228
Manufacturing & Development 231
Marketing & Distribution 232
Cooperative Agreements 236
Company Profiles 238
Ace Packaging Systems, see International Paper
Akro-Mils Incorporated, see Myers Industries
Ameri-Kart Corporation, see Myers Industries
Atorka Group hf 240
Ball Corporation 242
Berenfield Containers Incorporated 244
Berry Plastics Corporation 245
Bonar Plastics Incorporated, see Atorka Group hf
Buckhorn Incorporated, see Myers Industries
BWAY Corporation 247
Chem-Tainer Industries Incorporated 250
Cleveland Steel Container Corporation 252
CP Louisiana Incorporated 253
Evans Industries Incorporated, see Greif Incorporated
GCC Drum Incorporated, see Greif Incorporated
General Steel Drum Corporation 254
Georgia-Pacific Corporation, see Koch Industries
Greif Incorporated 255
Hedwin Corporation 261
Hoover Materials Handling Group Incorporated 262
IBC North America Incorporated 265
Industrial Containers Limited, see BWAY Corporation
International Paper Company 266
IPL Incorporated 269
Koch Industries Incorporated 270
Letica Corporation 272
LINPAC Group Limited 274
Longview Fibre Company 276
Low & Bonar plc 278
MAUSER AG 279
Menasha Corporation 284
MFG Tray Company, see Molded Fiber Glass Companies
Molded Fiber Glass Companies 288
Myers Container Corporation 289
Myers Industries Incorporated 291
Nashville Wire Products Manufacturing Company 296
North American Container Corporation 297
North Coast Container Corporation 298
ORBIS Corporation, see Menasha Corporation
Packaging Corporation of America 299
Plastican Incorporated 301
Ropak Packaging, see LINPAC Group Limited
Russell-Stanley Holdings Incorporated, see MAUSER
Schoeller Arca Systems NV 302
SCHUETZ-Werke GmbH & Company KgaA 304
Sharpsville Container Corporation 306
Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation 307
Snyder Industries Incorporated 309
Svenska Cellulosa AB 312
Tegrant Corporation 313
Temple-Inland Incorporated 315
Trilla Steel Drum Corporation 316
US Can Corporation, see Ball Corporation
Weyerhaeuser Company 317
Other Companies in Rigid Bulk Packaging 319

LIST OF TABLES
TABLE NUMBER PAGE
SECTION I -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Summary Table 3

SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
1 Macroeconomic Indicators 8
2 Population & Households 12
3 Manufacturers’ Shipments 15
4 Rigid Bulk Packaging Market, 1996-2006 19
5 Rigid Bulk Packaging Prices 23
6 Foreign Trade in Rigid Bulk Packaging 33

SECTION III -- MATERIALS
1 Raw Material Use in Rigid Bulk Packaging 38
2 Plastic Use in Rigid Bulk Packaging by Product 43
3 Steel Use in Rigid Bulk Packaging by Product 46
4 Paperboard & Wood Panel Use in Rigid Bulk Packaging by Product 50

SECTION IV -- PRODUCTS
1 Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand by Type 54
2 Drum Shipments by Type 57
3 Steel Drum Shipments by Type 61
4 Steel Drum Demand by Market 66
5 Fibre Drum Shipments 71
6 Fibre Drum Demand by Market 74
7 Plastic Drum Shipments 79
8 Plastic Drum Demand by Market 83
9 Pail Shipments by Type 87
10 Plastic Pail Shipments by Type 89
11 Plastic Pail Demand by Market 91
12 Steel Pail Shipments by Type 96
13 Steel Pail Demand by Market 98
14 Material Handling Container Shipments by Type 104
15 Plastic Tote & Crate Shipments by Type 107
16 Steel Material Handling Container Shipments 109
17 Material Handling Container Demand by Market 112
18 Bulk Box Shipments 118
19 Bulk Box Demand by Market 120
20 Rigid Intermediate Bulk Container Shipments by Type 127
21 Plastic Body RIBC Shipments 130
22 Metal Body RIBC Shipments 135
23 Other RIBC Shipments by Type 139
24 Rigid Intermediate Bulk Container Demand by Market 143

SECTION V -- MARKETS
1 Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand by Market 147
2 Nondurable Goods Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging 150
3 Chemical & Pharmaceutical Product Shipments 154
4 Chemical & Pharmaceutical Products Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging by Type 156
5 Chemical & Pharmaceutical Products Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging by Chemical 161
6 Industrial Chemical Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging 165
7 Paint & Coating Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging 167
8 Detergent & Cleaner Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging 169
9 Pharmaceutical Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging 171
10 Agricultural Chemical Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging 174
11 Other Chemical Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging 177
12 Food & Beverage Shipments 180
13 Food Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging 182
14 Plastic, Rubber & Fiber Shipments 189
15 Plastic, Rubber & Fiber Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging 191
16 Petroleum & Lubricant Product Supply & Demand 193
17 Petroleum & Lubricant Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging 196
18 Agricultural & Horticultural Indicators 199
19 Agricultural & Horticultural Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging 202
20 Durable Goods Shipments 206
21 Durable Goods Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging 209
22 Other Markets for Rigid Bulk Packaging 211

SECTION VI -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
1 US Rigid Bulk Packaging Sales by Company, 2006 215
2 Selected Acquisitions & Divestitures 226
3 Selected Cooperative Agreements 238

LIST OF CHARTS
CHART NUMBER PAGE
SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
1 Rigid Bulk Packaging Market, 1996-2006 19

SECTION III -- MATERIALS
1 Raw Material Use in Rigid Bulk Packaging, 1996-2016 39
2 Plastic Use in Rigid Bulk Packaging by Product, 2006 43
3 Steel Use in Rigid Bulk Packaging by Product, 2006 47

SECTION IV -- PRODUCTS
1 Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand by Type, 2006 55
2 Steel Drum Demand by Market, 2006 67
3 Fibre Drum Demand by Market, 2006 75
4 Plastic Drum Demand by Market, 2006 84
5 Plastic Pail Demand by Market, 2006 92
6 Steel Pail Demand by Market, 2006 99
7 Material Handling Container Demand by Market, 2006 113
8 Bulk Box Demand by Market, 2006 121
9 Rigid Intermediate Bulk Container Demand by
Market, 2006 144

SECTION V -- MARKETS
1 Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand by Market, 2006 147
2 Chemical & Pharmaceutical Products Market for
Rigid Bulk Packaging by Type, 2006 157
3 Chemical & Pharmaceutical Products Market for
Rigid Bulk Packaging by Chemical, 2006 162

SECTION VI -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
1 US Rigid Bulk Packaging Market Share, 2006 218