Demand for rigid bulk packaging in the US is projected to advance 4.3 percent annually through 2015. Material handling containers and RIBCs will be the fastest growing types. Drums will remain the largest segment, with growth accelerating based on a rebound in chemical output. Durable goods markets will outpace the dominant nondurables segment.

This study analyzes the $5.4 billion US rigid bulk packaging industry. It presents historical demand data for the years 2000, 2005 and 2010, and forecasts for 2015 and 2020 by material, product (e.g., drums, pails, bulk boxes, material handling containers, RIBCs) and market (e.g., chemicals and pharmaceuticals; food and beverages; plastic, rubber and fiber; petroleum and lubricants; agricultural and horticultural products; durable goods).

The study also considers marker environment factors, details industry structure, evaluates company market share and profiles 35 industry players, including Greif, BWAY and MAUSER.

						    TABLE OF CONTENTS

     SECTION									    PAGE

		INTRODUCTION							      xi

	I.	EXECUTIVE SUMMARY						       1

	II.	MARKET ENVIRONMENT						       4
		General								       4
		Macroeconomic Outlook						       5
		Demographic Trends						       8
		Manufacturing Outlook						      12
		Packaging Trends						      15
		   Paper							      17
		   Plastic							      18
		   Metal							      19
		   Glass & Wood							      20
		Competitive Bulk Packaging					      20
		Historical Market Trends					      22
		Pricing Trends							      25
		Environmental Issues						      28
		Regulatory Considerations					      32
		   Transport & Handling						      32
		   Other Regulations						      35
		Foreign Trade							      36
		International Activity						      38

	III.	MATERIALS							      40
		General								      40
		Plastic								      43
		Steel								      48
		Paperboard & Wood Panels					      51

	IV.	PRODUCTS							      55
		General								      55
		Drums								      59
		   Steel Drums							      62
		      Liners & Coating Technologies				      65
		      Reconditioning & Recycling				      66
		      Markets							      68
		      Producers							      72
		   Fibre Drums							      73
		      Recycling							      76
		      Markets							      77
		      Producers							      80
		   Plastic Drums						      81
		      Reconditioning & Recycling				      83
		      Markets							      85
		      Producers							      89
		Pails								      90
		   Plastic Pails						      91
		      Markets							      94
		      Producers							      97
		   Steel Pails							      98
		      Markets							     100
		      Producers							     103
		Bulk Boxes							     104
		   Markets							     107
		   Producers							     110
		Material Handling Containers					     112
		   Plastic Material Handling Containers				     116
		      Totes							     117
		      Crates							     119
		   Steel Material Handling Containers				     121
		   Markets							     123
		   Producers							     126
		Rigid Intermediate Bulk Containers				     128
		   Plastic Body RIBCs						     132
		   Plastic RIBC Producers					     135
		   Metal Body RIBCs						     137
		   Metal RIBC Producers						     139
		   Other RIBCs							     140
		   Producers of Other RIBCs					     143
		   Markets							     144

	V.	MARKETS								     148
		General								     148
		Nondurable Goods						     151
		   Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals					     154
		      Chemical & Pharmaceutical Industry Outlook		     154
		      Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand by Type			     158
			Drums							     160
			Pails							     162
			RIBCs & Other						     163
		      Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand by Chemical Type		     164
			Industrial Chemicals					     166
			Pharmaceuticals					             169
			Paints & Coatings					     172
			Detergents & Cleaners					     175
			Agricultural Chemicals					     177
			Other							     179
		   Food & Beverages						     182
		      Food & Beverage Industry Outlook				     183
		      Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand				     185
			Pails							     187
			Drums							     188
			Bulk Boxes						     189
			Material Handling Containers				     190
			RIBCs							     190
		   Plastic, Rubber & Fiber					     191
		      Plastic, Rubber & Fiber Outlook				     191
		      Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand				     194
		   Petroleum & Lubricants					     196
		      Petroleum & Lubricant Outlook				     197
		      Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand				     199
		   Agricultural & Horticultural Products			     202
		      Agricultural & Horticultural Industry Outlook		     202
		      Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand				     206
		Durable Goods							     209
		   Durable Goods Outlook					     209
		   Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand					     210
		Other Markets							     213

	VI.	INDUSTRY STRUCTURE						     217
		General								     217
		Industry Composition						     218
		Market Share							     221
		   Greif							     223
		   BWAY								     224
		   MAUSER							     225
		   Menasha							     225
		   Letica							     226
		   International Paper						     226
		   Other Leaders						     227
		Acquisitions & Divestitures					     227
		Competitive Strategies						     231
		Manufacturing & Development					     234
		Marketing & Distribution					     235
		Cooperative Agreements						     240
		Company Profiles						     242
		   Akro-Mils, see Myers Industries
		   American Container Net, see MAUSER
		   American Fiber Drum, see MAUSER
		   Atorka Group hf						     243
		   Berenfield Containers Incorporated				     244
		   Berry Plastics Corporation					     245
		   Bonar Plastics Incorporated					     247
		   Buckhorn, see Myers Industries
		   BWAY Corporation						     249
		   Central Can, see BWAY
		   Chem-Tainer Industries Incorporated				     253
		   Cleveland Steel Container Corporation			     255
		   Containers America, see Myers Container and North Coast Container
		   Ennis Containers, see Greif
		   General Steel Drum, see Myers Container
		   Georgia-Pacific, see Koch Industries
		   Greif Incorporated						     257
		   Hedwin Corporation						     262
		   Hoover Materials Handling Group Incorporated			     264
		   IBC North America Incorporated				     266
		   International Paper Company					     267
		   IPL Incorporated						     269
		   Koch Industries Incorporated					     271
		   Letica Corporation						     273
		   LINPAC Group Limited						     275
		   Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging Incorporated		     276
		   Macro Plastics Incorporated					     278
		   MAUSER AG							     279
		   Menasha Corporation						     283
		   Molded Fiber Glass Companies					     286
		   Myers Container LLC						     288
		   Myers Industries Incorporated				     290
		   Nashville Wire Products Manufacturing Company		     294
		   North American Container Corporation				     295
		   North Coast Container Corporation				     296
		   NorthPak Container, see Cleveland Steel Container
		   Norton Packaging Incorporated				     297
		   ORBIS Container Services, see Koch Industries
		   ORBIS, see Menasha
		   Packaging Corporation of America				     298
		   Phoenix Container, see BWAY
		   Plastican, see BWAY
		   Promens North America, see Bonar Plastics
		   Protexic Brands, see Tegrant
		   Schoeller Arca Systems Group BV				     301
		   SCHÜTZ GmbH & Company KGaA					     303
		   Sharpsville Container Corporation				     305
		   Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation				     306
		   Snyder Industries Incorporated				     308
		   Superfos Packaging, see Berry Plastics
		   Tegrant Corporation						     310
		   Temple-Inland Incorporated					     313
		   ThermoSafe Brands, see Tegrant
		   Trilla Steel Drum, see Greif
		Additional Companies in Rigid Bulk Packaging			     315


				      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	Packaging Supply & Demand					      17
	5	Rigid Bulk Packaging Market, 2000-2010				      24
	6	Rigid Bulk Packaging Prices					      28
	7	Foreign Trade in Rigid Bulk Packaging				      38

		SECTION III -- MATERIALS
	1	Raw Material Use in Rigid Bulk Packaging			      42
	2	Plastic Use in Rigid Bulk Packaging by Product			      47
	3	Steel Use in Rigid Bulk Packaging by Product			      50
	4	Paperboard & Wood Panel Use in Rigid Bulk Packaging
		   by Product							      54

		SECTION IV -- PRODUCTS
	1	Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand by Type				      58
	2	Drum Shipments by Type						      61
	3	Steel Drum Shipments by Type					      65
	4	Steel Drum Demand by Market					      71
	5	Fibre Drum Shipments						      76
	6	Fibre Drum Demand by Market					      79
	7	Plastic Drum Shipments						      83
	8	Plastic Drum Demand by Market					      88
	9	Pail Shipments by Type						      91
	10	Plastic Pail Shipments by Type					      94
	11	Plastic Pail Demand by Market					      96
	12	Steel Pail Shipments by Type					     100
	13	Steel Pail Demand by Market					     102
	14	Bulk Box Shipments						     107
	15	Bulk Box Demand by Market					     109
	16	Material Handling Container Shipments by Type			     116
	17	Plastic Tote Shipments						     119
	18	Plastic Crate Shipments						     120
	19	Steel Material Handling Container Shipments			     123
	20	Material Handling Container Demand by Market			     125
	21	Rigid Intermediate Bulk Container Shipments by Type		     132
	22	Plastic Body RIBC Shipments					     134
	23	Metal Body RIBC Shipments					     139
	24	Other RIBC Shipments by Type					     143
	25	Rigid Intermediate Bulk Container Demand by Market		     146

		SECTION V -- MARKETS
	1	Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand by Market				     150
	2	Nondurable Goods Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging		     153
	3	Chemical & Pharmaceutical Product Shipments			     157
	4	Chemical & Pharmaceutical Products Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging by Type								     159
	5	Chemical & Pharmaceutical Products Market for Rigid Bulk 
		   Packaging by Chemical					     165
	6	Industrial Chemical Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging		     169
	7	Pharmaceutical Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging			     172
	8	Paints & Coatings Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging		     174
	9	Detergent & Cleaner Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging		     176
	10	Agricultural Chemical Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging		     179
	11	Other Chemical Markets for Rigid Bulk Packaging			     182
	12	Food & Beverage Shipments					     185
	13	Food & Beverage Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging			     187
	14	Plastic, Rubber & Fiber Shipments				     194
	15	Plastic, Rubber & Fiber Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging		     196
	16	Petroleum & Lubricant Product Supply & Demand			     198
	17	Petroleum & Lubricant Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging		     201
	18	Agricultural & Horticultural Indicators				     205
	19	Agricultural & Horticultural Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging	     208
	20	Durable Goods Shipments						     210
	21	Durable Goods Market for Rigid Bulk Packaging			     213
	22	Other Markets for Rigid Bulk Packaging				     216

		SECTION VI -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
	1	US Rigid Bulk Packaging Sales by Company, 2010			     220
	2	Selected Acquisitions & Divestitures				     230
	3	Selected Cooperative Agreements					     241

		      LIST OF CHARTS

    CHART NUMBER								    PAGE


		SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
	1	Rigid Bulk Packaging Market, 2000-2010				      25

		SECTION III -- MATERIALS
	1	Raw Material Use in Rigid Bulk Packaging, 2000-2020		      43
	2	Plastic Use in Rigid Bulk Packaging by Product, 2010		      47
	3	Steel Use in Rigid Bulk Packaging by Product, 2010		      51

		SECTION IV -- PRODUCTS
	1	Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand by Type, 2010			      59
	2	Steel Drum Demand by Market, 2010				      72
	3	Fibre Drum Demand by Market, 2010				      80
	4	Plastic Drum Demand by Market, 2010				      89
	5	Plastic Pail Demand by Market, 2010				      97
	6	Steel Pail Demand by Market, 2010				     103
	7	Bulk Box Demand by Market, 2010					     110
	8	Material Handling Container Demand by Market, 2010		     126
	9	Rigid Intermediate Bulk Container Demand by Market, 2010	     147

		SECTION V -- MARKETS
	1	Rigid Bulk Packaging Demand by Market, 2010			     151
	2	Chemical & Pharmaceutical Products Market for Rigid Bulk 
		   Packaging by Type, 2010					     160
	3	Chemical & Pharmaceutical Products Market for Rigid Bulk 
		   Packaging by Chemical, 2010					     166

		SECTION VI -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
	1	US Rigid Bulk Packaging Market Share by Company, 2010		     223