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58-755: Until 2024, the firm was a wholly owned subsidiary of Ball Corporation , with primary offices in Boulder, Colorado , and facilities in Broomfield and Westminster in Colorado , with smaller offices in New Mexico , Ohio , northern Virginia , Missouri and Maryland . It was acquired by BAE Systems Inc. in 2024, and is operated as a new division within BAE called Space & Mission systems. Ball Aerospace began building pointing controls for military rockets in 1956. The aerospace part of

116-466: A Vineland, New Jersey , tinsmith named John Landis Mason (1832–1902) invented and patented a screw threaded glass jar or bottle that became known as the Mason jar (U.S. Patent No. 22,186.) From 1857, when it was first patented, to the present, Mason jars have had hundreds of variations in shape and cap design. After Mason's patent expired, many other manufacturers produced glass jars for home canning using

174-510: A Ball Brother metal fabricating factory. The brothers decided to add their logo onto the surface of the glass jars, which were amber or aqua (blue-green) at the time. On February 13, 1886, the five brothers incorporated the business under the name Ball Brothers Manufacturing Company. About the same time the factory in Buffalo was destroyed by fire in 1886, the brothers began to consider moving their business closer to natural gas supplies. While on

232-471: A German-based metal-can beverage company and created Ball Packaging Europe. This move boosted Ball’s beverage can sales by more than $ 1 billion USD annually.   Sensing an opportunity to expand its packaging business in other categories, Ball entered the steel aerosol business in 2006 with the acquisition of U.S. Can, an U.S.-based steel aerosol and specialty metal packaging company. 2009 brought two milestones to Ball Corporation. First, on March 6, 2009,

290-507: A business trip in Cleveland, Ohio , Frank heard about the natural gas boom in Findlay, Ohio . After visiting the town, he told Edmund about the economic advantages of using natural gas instead of coal for manufacturing glass. Edmund visited several towns in the gas fields, including Muncie, Indiana . The two brothers decided to make a more extensive trip to investigate the possibility of establishing

348-619: A continuation of the company's difficulties in Muncie, workers organized with Local 200 (Glass Workers) of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) at the main facility, and went on strike in March 1910 in advocacy of wage increases. A settlement was quickly reached on March 29, but company management reneged on the agreement and threatened to declare a lockout . The strike continued, but was weakened by

406-559: A factory in Poughkeepsie, New York . Around 1885 a group of Belgian glassblowers who were passing through Buffalo encouraged the Ball brothers to build their own factory. The Ball brothers purchased land in East Buffalo, where they built a two-story brick building for the stamping works and a one-story frame factory for the glass works. Although a fire destroyed an early glass factory in Buffalo,

464-580: A glass factory closer to an abundant supply of natural gas. They briefly had doubts about extending beyond Buffalo, but decided to explore the use of natural gas as a means of expanding their glass-making business. Frank and Edmund first visited in Fostoria, Ohio , where they were enthusiastically welcomed. The next stop was Bowling Green, Ohio . After a night in town, Edmund returned to Buffalo, but Frank remained. After Frank had been in Bowling Green for about

522-425: A ground lip as well. By 1908 semi-automatic machines manufactured the majority of these jars. Machine-made Mason jars that originated around 1909 have a sealing surface on a bead ledge below the threads. This type of jar dominated the market by the mid to late 1910s. Manufacturers continued to make jars with the beaded seal after the mid-twentieth century. Ball's "Ideal" canning jar, which first appeared around 1915 and

580-509: A permanent rubber seal. His improved design in 1915 used the modern design. Jars are closed with two-piece metal lids that seal on the rim. The jar lid has a rubber or rubber-like sealing surface and is held in place by a separate metal band. Mason sold the patents for the Mason jar to the Sheet Metal Screw Company of Lewis R. Boyd in 1859. Boyd had patented a white "milk-glass" insert for the zinc screw lids to theoretically lessen

638-446: A proposal that offered the Ball brothers 7 acres (2.8 hectares) of land for a factory site, a gas well, and $ 5,000 in cash to encourage the move to Muncie. In addition, city officials agreed to provide a railroad connection to the brothers' new facilities. By September 1887 construction had begun on the Muncie factory and the Ball brothers began plans to move their glass manufacturing operations from New York. Frank remained in Muncie to get

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696-587: A publicly traded stock company on the New York Stock Exchange in 1973. The stock began trading at $ 26 per share (not split adjusted) on the NYSE on December 17, 1973. Ball stock has split two-for-one six times since going public. Ball's trading symbol is BALL. Ball no longer produces its glass canning jars. In 1996, Ball exited the home-canning business when it established a subsidiary named Alltrista, which consisted of seven smaller Ball subsidiaries that included

754-447: A ring of sealing compound which acts as a gasket against the jar's rim. New sealing compound is only good for about five years from date of manufacture, so older unused lids should be discarded. Lids may not be used more than once. New lids are slightly domed (convex). During processing, air is vented from the jar and the food shrinks. While cooling, a vacuum is created inside the jar, sucking the dome downward (concave) – an indication that

812-482: A seal is good. Processed jars should be stored in a manner where the lids are not disturbed and the seals remain intact. The metal screw bands are used to properly align the lids onto the jar, and to hold the lid in place during processing. They should be removed after processing and may be reused many times as long as they are kept rust-free and undented. The value of a jar is related to its age, rarity, color, and condition. A jar's age and rarity can be determined by

870-437: A separate stamped steel disc-shaped lid against the jar's rim. After Mason's patent expired, numerous other companies began manufacturing similar jars. Over the years, the brand name Mason became the genericized trademark for that style of glass home canning jar, and the word "Mason" can be seen on many Ball and Kerr brand jars. The style of jar is occasionally referred to by common brand names such as Ball jar (in

928-418: A week, he received a telegram from James Boyce, a Muncie businessman. Frank, who had become weary of Bowling Green, was ready for a change and "decided to run down to Muncie and see what they had to offer." As Frank recalled his early discussions with Muncie's town leaders, "There was nothing about the town that particularly appealed to me, but the men were all courteous, kind, and businesslike." Frank agreed to

986-544: A wholly-owned subsidiary of the Ball Corporation, Ball Aerospace was cited in 2023 as the 54th largest defense contractor in the world. Both parent and subsidiary headquarters are co-located in Broomfield, Colorado. In August 2023, Ball Corporation agreed to divest Ball Aerospace to BAE Systems Inc. for $ 5.6 billion in cash. On February 14, 2024 The companies announced that all regulatory approvals were in place to allow

1044-512: The Great Depression and World War II . Prior to 1933, Ball was the largest domestic manufacturer of home canning jars. In 1939 it manufactured 54% of all the canning jars made in the US. A drop in demand for the jars during the 1930s led the Ball brothers to begin manufacturing other types of jars and bottles for commercial use, and eventually expanding into other lines of business. During World War II

1102-442: The 2022 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), among many others. Mason jar A Mason jar , also known as a canning jar , preserves jar or fruit jar , is a glass jar used in home canning to preserve food . It was named after American tinsmith John Landis Mason , who patented it in 1858. The jar's mouth has a screw thread on its outer perimeter to accept a metal ring or "band". The band, when screwed down, presses

1160-580: The Ball Aerospace-built Kepler spacecraft carrying the largest camera ever sent by NASA beyond Earth’s orbit, was successfully launched aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral, FL. The second milestone arrived when Ball acquired four metal beverage can plants from AB InBev. Just one year later in 2010, Ball owned the title of the largest supplier of aluminum slugs in the world with two acquisitions of Neuman Aluminum and Aerocan S.A.S. In 2016, Ball acquired British firm Rexam plc to become

1218-415: The Ball Corporation in 1969, it acquired Jeffco Manufacturing Company, a maker of recyclable aluminum beverage cans, and became the largest producer of recyclable beverage cans in the world. Although glass production in Muncie ceased in 1962, it continued at other Ball plants until its final glass manufacturing operations were sold in 1996. Ball Corporation's stock went public on July 13, 1972. It became

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1276-547: The Ball Corporation was then known as Ball Brothers Research Corporation , and later won a contract to build some of NASA 's first spacecraft, the Orbiting Solar Observatory satellites. The company has been responsible for numerous technological and scientific projects and continues to provide aerospace technology to NASA and related industries. Other products and services for the aerospace industry include lubricants, optical systems, star trackers and antennas. As

1334-540: The Ball brand for mason jars and home canning supplies. In 1880, Frank C. and Edmund B. Ball borrowed close to $ 200 from George Harvey Ball, their uncle and founder and first president of Keuka College , to purchase the Wooden Jacket Can Company, a small manufacturing business located in Buffalo, New York . Soon, William, Lucius, and George Ball joined their brothers, Frank and Edmund, in Buffalo. (Years later,

1392-492: The Ball brothers installed gas converters to use Indiana coal in their factories and continued manufacturing operations. The company's F. C. Ball machine, patented in 1898, introduced mass production into its glass-blowing process and gave it a competitive market advantage. By 1905 the company was producing 60 million canning jars per year and had acquired other glass manufacturers, expanding its operations to include seven factories in addition to its main facilities at Muncie. In

1450-586: The Ball company has expanded and diversified into other business ventures, including aerospace technology. It eventually became the world's largest manufacturer of recyclable aluminum packaging for a variety of beverage, home and personal care applications. The Ball brothers renamed their business the Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company, incorporated in 1886. Its headquarters, as well as its glass and metal manufacturing operations, were moved to Muncie, Indiana , by 1889. The business

1508-506: The Ball jar and other canning-related products. When Alltrista Corporation became a separate company in April 1993, Ball shareholders received one share of Alltrista stock for every four shares of Ball stock. Alltrista was renamed Jarden Corporation in 2001. In 2016, Jarden merged with Newell Rubbermaid to become Newell Brands. Today, Newell Brands has the license to use the Ball registered trademark on its line of home-canning products. Ball became

1566-473: The Mason jar include the "Improved Mason," which sealed on a shoulder above the thread instead of below, and the Atlas Strong Shoulder, with a reinforced shoulder area (as the original design was subject to cracks from the stress at the sealing point). A new type of Mason jar known as a "bead" jar was introduced c.  1910 –1915. These continuous screw-thread jars were designed with a bead between

1624-527: The Mason-style jar. The initial form of closure for the glass canning jar was a zinc screw-on cap , the precursor to today's screw-on lids. It usually had a milk-glass liner, but some of the earliest lids may have had transparent glass liners. The cap screwed down onto a rubber ring on the shoulder of the jar, not the lip. Between 1860 and 1900, many other patents were issued for Mason jar improvements and closures. In 1903 Alexander Kerr introduced lids with

1682-410: The Muncie factory were oil containers and lamp chimneys, not fruit jars. By 1889 the Ball company's headquarters and its glass and metal manufacturing operations had moved to Muncie. The other Ball brothers moved to Indiana in the 1890s. George moved to Muncie in 1893, William arrived in 1897, and Lucius, a company shareholder and a physician, moved to Muncie in 1894. In the late nineteenth century,

1740-555: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) with $ 1.4 million in grants, launched into space on March 7, 1962, at Cape Canaveral, Florida . Its success led to additional contracts to build more satellites, a total of seven, but not without setbacks. An explosion killed three workers and damaged the company's OSO-2 satellite in 1964. The company continued to expand into other areas including avionics , aerospace systems, and metal beverage and food containers. Renamed

1798-563: The brand names Ball, Bernardin, Golden Harvest, and Kerr. A complete Mason jar is composed of a tempered glass jar, a flat self-sealing lid, and a metal band. The jars are made with either a wide mouth (3 inches (76 mm)) or regular mouth ( 2 + 3 ⁄ 8 inches (60 mm)) opening. They come in a variety of sizes, from 4 ounces to a gallon. The half-gallon size and larger are not recommended for canning purposes. The most typical sizes used in canning are quart, pint, and half-pint. The jars typically have their brand name embossed on

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1856-616: The brothers rebuilt and expanded the business. To keep the new factory's furnace operating at full capacity, the company introduced new products and made improvements to its glass and metal manufacturing processes. Around 1884, when the brothers discovered that the Mason Improved fruit jar patent was due to expire, their company began manufacturing canning jars in their glassworks. The Ball Brothers' jars, which were produced in half-gallon, pint, and midget sizes, were manufactured during 1884, 1885, and 1886. “Buffalo” jar lids were produced in

1914-410: The brothers reciprocated their uncle's early assistance by providing financial support to Keuka College.) The Ball brothers' company made tin cans encased in wooden jackets to hold kerosene, paints, or varnishes. Because the acid used to refine kerosene caused corrosion in tin, the brothers decided to use glass for the inserts of the wood-jacketed cans. Initially, they bought the glass containers from

1972-609: The chances that food would be tainted by contact with the metal lid. In 1871, Mason partnered with Boyd in the Consolidated Fruit Jar Company which licensed Mason jar patents to numerous glass makers. Letters of patent issued to Mason on May 10, 1870, for improvements to his fruit-canning jar was determined to be invalid as a result of a patent infringement case brought before the Southern District of New York on June 11, 1874. The court acknowledged that Mason invented

2030-447: The color, shape, mold and production marks of the glass, and the jar's closure. Mason jars usually have a proprietary brand embossed on the jar. Early jars embossed with "Mason's Patent November 28th 1858" that date from the late 1850s to early 1860s closely match the illustrations of Mason's 1858 patents. Mouth-blown (or hand-blown) jars embossed with a version of "Mason's Patent November 28th 1858" were made about 1857 to 1908 and often had

2088-477: The company continued to grow and prosper, but not without experiencing some challenges. Fires at its Muncie factories and warehouses in 1891 and 1898 damaged its facilities, which were eventually rebuilt. Despite the economic panic of 1893 , the company was able to produce 22 million fruit jars for the year beginning in September 1894, and 37 million jars by 1897. When natural gas supplies in the area began to diminish,

2146-535: The company manufactured 54% of all the canning jars made in the US. Ball ceased production of canning jars when its subsidiary, Alltrista, became a separate company in 1993. Ball Corp. acquired certain Kerr assets, including factories, in 1992 and the Kerr brand of glass home canning jars was absorbed into Alltrista in 1996. Alltrista was renamed Jarden Corporation in 2002. Newell Brands acquired Jarden Corporation in 2016. As of 2022, Newell manufactures canning jars under

2204-598: The company to suffer its first net operating loss. With legal restrictions on the company's ability to expand its glass-making business and declining demand for its canning jars, Ball company executives decided to diversify the company to achieve growth. Throughout the 1950s the Ball company explored expanding into the aerospace industry. The Ball Brothers Research Corporation began operating laboratories in Boulder, Colorado , and in Muncie. The company first began manufacturing aerospace equipment around 1959. Its OSO-1 ( Orbiting Solar Observatory ) satellite, designed and built for

2262-529: The company's operations were converted to produce shells and machine parts for the military. After the war, Ball's glass-making business was hindered by an antitrust case in which the company was one of several defendants. The legal case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court . The final decision, which was handed down in 1947, restricted Ball's ability to acquire other glass manufacturers and other businesses producing glass-making machinery without prior court approval. In 1949 decreasing demand for canning jars caused

2320-468: The deal to complete. The deal was closed on February 16, 2024. Ball Corporation Ball Corporation is a global aluminum manufacturing company headquartered in Westminster, Colorado . It is best known for its early production of glass jars , lids, and related products used for home canning . Since its founding in Buffalo, New York , in 1880, when it was known as the Wooden Jacket Can Company,

2378-437: The earliest glass jars used for home canning were wax sealers, named in reference to the sealing wax that was poured into a channel around the lip to secure a tin lid. This process, though complicated and error-prone, became popular in the late 1830s or early 1840s and was still used to seal fruit jars until about 1890. The wax sealing process was largely the only one available until other sealing methods were developed. In 1858,

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2436-402: The eastern US) or Kerr jar (in the western US) even if the individual jar is not that brand. In early 20th-century America, Mason jars became useful to those who lived in areas with short growing seasons. The jars became an essential part of farming culture, while being used at fairs to display jams and pickles for judging and awards. This was a reflection of the labour that went into making

2494-565: The factory up and running, while Edmund closed the glass factory in Buffalo, then moved to Muncie to join Frank. Their brothers, William and George, remained in Buffalo to operate the stamping works and a factory in Bath, New York . In 1888 the company opened its first glass manufacturing facility in Muncie. On February 18 fires were started in the new factory's furnace; on March 1 its first glass products were made. The first products to be manufactured in

2552-479: The four main components of their core product line of canning jars included glass, zinc, rubber, and paper, the Ball company acquired a zinc strip rolling mill to produce metal lids for their glass jars, manufactured rubber sealing rings for the jars, and acquired a paper mill to fabricate the packaging used in shipping their products. The company also acquired tin, steel, and later, plastic companies. The Ball company faced additional challenges and opportunities during

2610-446: The jams. The jams, pickles, and sauces would be given and exchanged as gifts during the holidays as a canned preserved good was of much value. The peak use of Mason jars came during World War II , when the U.S. government rationed food, encouraging the public to grow their own. As migration to cities occurred, along with the rise of refrigerators, the more efficient transport of goods made fruit and vegetables available year-round, reducing

2668-514: The jar in 1859, but he did not apply for a patent for an improved version of the fruit jar until 1868. In the meantime, several others had patented designs and Mason had known these jars were being produced and sold. The court ruled that Mason's delay in protecting his patent indicated he had abandoned his invention in the intervening years between 1859 and 1868 and had forfeited his patent. The court's decision allowed other manufacturers to patent, produce, and sell glass jars for canning. Variations of

2726-582: The largest supplier of cans in the Chinese market when it acquired M.C. Packaging Ltd. in China in 1997. In 1998, the Ball Corporation moved its corporate headquarters from Muncie to Broomfield, Colorado, where it would oversee global operations as a manufacturer of metal food and beverage containers, as well as a manufacturer of equipment and supplier of services to the aerospace industry. Continuing its growth through acquisition, in 2002, Ball acquired Schmalbach-Lubeca AG,

2784-557: The most common color was the distinctive "Ball blue," which the Ball Corporation used in its jars from about 1910 to 1930. Mason jars with this particular color of glass may be attributed to Ball, since "virtually no other bottle or jar was made in that color." Older styles of home canning jars are "Not Recommended" by the U.S.-based National Center for Home Food Preservation, the United States Department of Agriculture, and University Extension Services. These include: those using

2842-782: The most recent Combined Annual & Sustainability Report . The first report was an ACCA-Ceres North American Sustainability Awards cowinner of the Best First Time Reporter award in 2009. Most recently, Ball has been recognized as a sustainability leader by organizations and governing bodies such as TIME’s list of the World’s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024, USA Today and Statista’s 2024 list of America’s Climate Leaders, FTSE4Good’s 2024 Index Series , S&P Global’s Sustainability Yearbook in 2023 and 2024 , Newsweek’s 2020 , 2021 , 2022 , 2023 , and 2024 lists of America’s Most Responsible Companies and

2900-472: The need for food preservation. Contemporary industrial preservation transitioned to the use of plastics like bakelite and nylon and billions of containers were produced instead. On August 15, 2017, the registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed National Mason Jar Day to be observed annually as a national holiday on November 30, beginning in 2017. French chef Nicolas Appert invented the method of preserving food by enclosing it in sealed containers. Among

2958-458: The opportunity in sports and entertainment ripe, in 2020, Ball of Pepsi Center in Downtown Denver and renamed it Ball Arena . The naming rights were sold to Ball as a part of a global multi-year agreement with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE). In 2024, Ball Corporation left the aerospace business after selling Ball Aerospace to BAE Systems Inc. for $ 5.6 billion in cash. The move

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3016-535: The refusal of machinists affiliated with the American Federation of Labor to join the strike. By the end of April, the strike was lost. For over 90 years, Ball continued to be a family-owned business. Renamed the Ball Brothers Company in 1922, it remained well-known for manufacturing fruit jars, lids, and related products for home canning. The company also entered into other business ventures. Because

3074-436: The screw threads and the shoulder as a sealing surface. The Ball Corporation's "Perfect Mason" jar, one of the most common jars of this style, was introduced c. 1913 and produced until the mid-20th century. It had several variations, including a square-shaped jar. The Ball Corporation, which once dominated the market as the largest domestic manufacturer of home-canning jars, spun off its home-canning business in 1993. In 1939

3132-528: The side, though jars may also have a decorative design such as a quilting pattern or may be completely blank and smooth. Jars may be washed and reused so long as they have no chips or cracks. In the illustration, the left half are wide mouth and the right half are regular mouth. From left to right: wide mouth half-pint, pint, 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 pint, quart, then regular mouth quart, pint, half-pint, quarter-pint. The lids and bands are also shown. The two rightmost jars are quilted. The lids are made of metal with

3190-458: The world’s largest producer of aluminum beverage cans.   Spearheading innovation in the aluminum beverage space, Ball introduced its innovative lightweight Ball Aluminum Cup® in 2019. The cup was recognized in Fast Company’s 2020 World Changing Ideas Awards with an honorable mention in the consumer products category. The cup is popular in sports and entertainment arenas and venues. With

3248-428: Was discontinued in 1962, is one of the company's best-known jars and is popular among collectors. Most antique jars that are not colorless are aqua or "Ball blue," a blue-green shade that was named for the Ball Corporation, a prevalent jar manufacturer. Most mouth-blown Mason jars embossed with some type of 1858 patent date were produced in aqua glass. The Ball brand of Mason jars were manufactured in several colors, but

3306-618: Was renamed the Ball Brothers Company in 1922 and the Ball Corporation in 1969. It became a publicly traded stock company on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BLL in 1973. On May 10, 2022, the company changed its ticker symbol to BALL. Ball no longer produces glass mason jars and the home canning business altogether in 1996 by spinning off a former subsidiary (Alltrista) into a free-standing company, which renamed itself Jarden Corporation. In 2016, Jarden Corporation merged with Newell Rubbermaid to become Newell Brands who owns

3364-436: Was strategic in allowing Ball to increase its focus on “low-carbon, best-value aluminum packaging initiatives”, said CEO Dan Fisher at the time. Ball Corporation has made improvements to its environmental record since 2006, when the company began its first formal sustainability efforts. In 2008, Ball Corporation issued its first sustainability report and began releasing subsequent sustainability reports on its website including

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