About Us

Where We Started

DS Containers is a unique Japanese-American partnership (DS is derived from Daiwa-Seikan – the latter is the Japanese word for can making). The founder of the American side of the equation was William J. Smith, Sr., a packaging veteran with over 50 years of experience. He was the founding CEO of U.S. Can Company, and before that, Executive Vice President of American Can Company’s Paper Division, then the nation’s largest packaging company.

In both places, he established relationships with Daiwa and was instrumental in forging the present arrangement.

Many of the new products and technologies introduced into the Japanese can industry in the past 40 years originated with Daiwa. They include the first production of liquid coffee cans, the first drawn-and-ironed steel cans, centralized end making, coil laminating and the “New Bottle Can”; the first re-sealable metal can in the worldwide beverage market.

Today Daiwa has 11 plants and represents approximately one-third of the can industry in Japan. For more information, click on Daiwa Can Company.

Our Company HistoryWe’ve continued to innovate and progress in our industry.

2000

Daiwa Can Company develops the “New Bottle Can”

2003

With the help of Daiwa Can Company, Bill Smith, Sr. opens DS Containers; a state-of-the-art manufacturing building is constructed in Batavia, Illinois. Developed from Daiwa’s technology, a new, two-piece steel aerosol can was created for the aerosol market.

2004

Installation of Lines 1 and 2 begins.

2005

Production on lines 1 and 2 begins in October

2010

Construction begins on lines 3 and 4

2011

Line 3 & 4 Production begins in January

2015

New warehouse construction is completed in West Chicago, Illinois.
New can sizes 211 x 315 and 211 x 413 introduced.

2016

New manufacturing plant construction is completed in West Chicago, Illinois

2017

Debossing feature is added to line 3 Line 5 installed in new West Chicago Plant

2021

Installation begins on sixth steel aerosol can production line.

2022

Production on line 7 begins in May.

2000

2003

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2011

2015

2016

2017

2021

2022

Associations We Belong To

We are leaders in technology and sustainability.

Take a look at our green initiatives.

Steel