Sealed Air

Sealed Air

Sealed Air was founded in 1960 by Alfred W. Fielding and Marc Chavannes, who discovered their bubble-laminated material had protective properties far beyond its original design as wallpaper. The company went public in the 1960s and expanded internationally through acquisitions including Smith Packaging Ltd. in 1970 and CRYOVAC from W.R. Grace in 1998, building a global packaging conglomerate. The company operates across three segments: food and beverage packaging under the CRYOVAC brand, protective packaging under BUBBLE WRAP and other labels, and medical and life sciences films. Its product mix spans vacuum shrink bags, automated bagging machines, inflatable cushioning systems, and paper mailers — sold to customers in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Sealed Air's technology includes vacuum systems for protein processors, form-fill-seal equipment for liquids, and on-demand foam cushioning for e-commerce logistics. Sealed Air employs roughly 16,100 people across 105 manufacturing facilities in 119 countries, with global headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 2022 it acquired Liquibox, expanding into bag-in-box and bulk fluid packaging for dairy and beverages. In 2026, Sealed Air was acquired by private equity firm CD&R and became a private company, ending six decades as a public corporation (per the firm, 2026). The 2026 CD&R acquisition shifted Sealed Air from a NYSE-listed corporation into a portfolio company of a private equity firm — a fundamental structural change. Previously, the firm was run by a public-company board and management team. Post-take-private, it operates as a standalone subsidiary within CD&R's industrial portfolio.