Sonoco Products Company has returned to the Fortune 500 list after reporting $7.8 billion in 2025 sales, highlighting the continued scale of global packaging demand across FMCG, retail, and industrial markets.
The Hartsville, South Carolina-based packaging company ranked No. 489 on the 2026 Fortune 500 list, which ranks the largest US companies by revenue.
Sonoco said it employs around 22,000 people across 265 operations in 37 countries, serving customers in paper and metal packaging markets worldwide.
The company is one of the best-known packaging suppliers operating across consumer goods, food packaging, industrial packaging, and retail supply chains. Its return to the Fortune 500 comes as packaging manufacturers continue investing in sustainable materials, operational efficiency, and global production capacity.
Sonoco said the recognition reflects its operational performance and market position following several years of strategic expansion and sustainability-focused packaging development.
The company has increasingly focused on recyclable and sustainable packaging formats as major FMCG brands and supermarket suppliers continue facing pressure to reduce packaging waste and improve environmental performance.
Fortune said companies included on the Fortune 500 list represent roughly two-thirds of US GDP and collectively employ more than 30 million people globally.
Beyond the Fortune 500 ranking, Sonoco also received recognition during 2025 and 2026 from Fortune, Newsweek, and USA TODAY for corporate responsibility and climate leadership initiatives.
Founded in 1899, Sonoco remains one of the world’s largest packaging manufacturers, supplying packaging solutions to food, beverage, household, healthcare, and industrial sectors.
The company reported net sales of $7.5 billion from continuing operations in 2025.
For the wider packaging sector, Sonoco’s return to the Fortune 500 reflects the growing importance of large-scale packaging infrastructure supporting global FMCG production, supermarket distribution, and consumer goods logistics.
As sustainability targets continue reshaping packaging procurement strategies, major suppliers like Sonoco are expected to remain central to long-term retail and FMCG supply-chain investment.
