COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 2499

Wood Products, nec

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

16companies1899–1989founding years16still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedSonoco Products CompanyFoundedSonoco Products Company
1899
FoundedKeyes Fibre CompanyFoundedKeyes Fibre Company
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedMatsushita Electric Works, Ltd.FoundedMatsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
1935
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedPay 'N Pak Stores, Inc.FoundedPay 'N Pak Stores, Inc.
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedRuss Berrie and Company, Inc.FoundedRuss Berrie and Company, Inc.
1963
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedSmurfit-Stone Container CorporationFoundedSmurfit-Stone Container CorporationFoundedWTD Industries, Inc.FoundedWTD Industries, Inc.
1983
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
FoundedHolson Burnes Group, Inc.FoundedHolson Burnes Group, Inc.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Sonoco Products Company →
Active · founded 1899
Sonoco Products Co.
Sonoco Products Company →
Active · founded 1899
Sonoco Products Co.
Keyes Fibre Company →
Active · founded 1903
Best known for its Chinet brand disposable dinnerware, the Keyes Fibre Company ranks among the United States's top 50…
Keyes Fibre Company →
Active · founded 1903
Best known for its Chinet brand disposable dinnerware, the Keyes Fibre Company ranks among the United States's top 50…
Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1935 · Japan
Matsushita Electric Works (MEW) is the industrial counterpart of the better-known Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.,…
Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1935 · Japan
Matsushita Electric Works (MEW) is the industrial counterpart of the better-known Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.,…
Pay 'N Pak Stores, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
Before its 1992 dissolution, do-it-yourself retailer Pay 'N Pak Stores, Inc.
Pay 'N Pak Stores, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
Before its 1992 dissolution, do-it-yourself retailer Pay 'N Pak Stores, Inc.
Russ Berrie and Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1963
Russ Berrie & Company, Inc.
Russ Berrie and Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1963
Russ Berrie & Company, Inc.
Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation →
Active · founded 1983
Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation is the world's largest manufacturer of paperboard and paper-based packaging…
Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation →
Active · founded 1983
Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation is the world's largest manufacturer of paperboard and paper-based packaging…
WTD Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
WTD Industries, Inc.
WTD Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
WTD Industries, Inc.
Holson Burnes Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1989
Holson Burnes Group, Inc., is the largest designer, manufacturer, and distributor of photo albums in the United States,…
Holson Burnes Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1989
Holson Burnes Group, Inc., is the largest designer, manufacturer, and distributor of photo albums in the United States,…
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