Global >> About O-I >> History

Founded in 1903 as the Owens Bottle Company, Owens-Illinois' roots are directly linked to the invention of the automatic bottlemaking machine by Michael J. Owens. The early company was among the first to manufacture glass bottles and jars of uniform height, shape and capacity.

In 1929, the Owens Bottle Company merged with Illinois Glass Company to form what is today Owens-Illinois, Inc. In the decades since, O-I has grown to become the world's leading glass container maker with more than 22,000 employees in 21 countries. The $7.1 billion company is headquartered in Perrysburg, Ohio, U.S.A., and holds market leadership positions in each of the four regions in which it operates - Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America.

Throughout its history, O-I has made glass containers that have become icons in packaging, ranging from perfume bottles to soda bottles. Today, the company focuses exclusively on containers for the food and beverage industries, including beer, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks. The company serves some of the world's best-known brands.