SIG's story begins in 1853 in the Swiss town of Neuhausen, where the company was founded to build railway braking systems — and the SIG initials originally stood for Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft (Swiss Industrial Company). The company's pivot into packaging came in the 20th century, and today SIG is the world's second-largest maker of aseptic carton packaging, the shelf-stable paper packs that keep milk, juice, and soup fresh without refrigeration.
The core product is the aseptic carton — a six-layer laminate of paperboard, aluminum, and polyethylene that blocks light and oxygen, letting liquid foods last for months unrefrigerated. SIG's combibloc packs are a familiar sight on supermarket shelves worldwide, and the company also makes bag-in-box packaging for wine and liquids, plus spouted pouches for yogurt and baby food. Its filling machines — which form, fill, and seal up to 24,000 packs per hour — are the high-tech heart of the business.
Listed in Zurich with about 5,400 employees and annual revenue near €3 billion, SIG competes head-to-head with Tetra Pak, differentiating on innovation: its 'SIG Connect' digital services, plant-based packaging materials, and lighter cartons that cut material use. For dairy and beverage brands, SIG is the alternative to the incumbent — the challenger that brings new packaging technology to a market long dominated by one player.
