History of Paper Cups

· 1910 - Individual Drinking Cup Company of New York was formed by Hugh Moore

· 1919 - The Health Kup was renamed Dixie Cup

· 1930’s - The Gee Manufacturing Company which was known as GeeManCo started manufacturing paper cups

· 1936 - Leo J. Hulseman established the Paper Container Manufacturing Company in Chicago (Later to become Solo)

· 1940 - Paper Container Manufacturing Company began manufacturing a paper cone cup known as the Solo Cup, for which the company was renamed

· 1950s - Solo introduced a two-piece wax-lined cold cup used for serving cold drinks

· 1955 - GeeManCo taken over by E.S. and A. Robinson (Holdings) Ltd

· 1957 - Robinsons set up new company Lily Cups and Containers (England) Ltd. Lily cups enter into licence agreement with Lily-Tulip Cup Corporation of America

· 1972 - Lily Cups and Containers (England) Ltd changes name to DRG Cups Ltd ( DRG is Dickenson Robinson Group)

· Late 1970’s - Polarcup of Finland (Huhtamaki) established a wholesale operation in UK with Key Catering Disposables acting as warehouse and distributor

· 1980 - Benders enters Cup production (Benders were a major manufacturer of paper tableware)

· 1981 - Seda starts UK production of paper cups

· 1983 - Dickenson Robinson Group of Bristol decides to close all production at DRG Cups Liverpool, as cost base was too high to maintain competitive position. Paper cup machines (PMC) were sold to Polarcup Finland

· 1983 - To protect General Foods account, with UK production, Polarcup established a factory at Devizes, Wiltshire, using some of the PMC machines purchased from DRG. The agreement with Keycatering was ended

· 1984 - DRG machines purchased by Polarcup a Finnish company (Huhtamaki) UK production set up at Devizes, Wiltshire, England

· 1992 - Polarcup purchased Sweetheart Europe, and merged both operations into Sweethearts factory at Gosport Hampshire

· 1995 - Cross paper ware sold to Duni, and ceases production of paper cups

· 2000 - Solo Cup Company purchases Insulpak etc

· 2004 - Solo Cup Company etc. Purchase Sweetheart (USA)

· 2006 - Wax paper cups discontinued in the UK and replaced with PE Coated cups

· 2008 - Polarcup changes name to Huhtamaki

· 2012 - Solo Cup Company is acquired by Dart Container Corporation and is now part of the Dart Container organisation