History of Tupperware

More than 50 years ago, a man named Earl Silas Tupper set out to change the world. Mr. Tupper was a chemist and inventor who worked in a DuPont chemical plant in 1937 where he was involved with that company's experiments with plastics before World War II.

Believe it or not, plastic was a baby at the time. It was brittle, smelly and ugly and seemed worthless for even the simplest tasks. Earl wanted to change all that and so formed his Tupper Plastics Company in 1938 at the age of 31.

Earl took a block of polyethylene slag, a waste product of the oil refining process, and did what no one had done before him - he purified it and turned it into a moldable plastic. His plastic was flexible and tough and pleasant. If you squeezed it, it retained its original shape. If you dropped it, it didn't break. If you put a chunk of cheese in it, the cheese came out smelling like cheese, not like plastic. It was revolutionary!

In 1942, Earl bought his first manufacturing plant, a factory in Farnumsville, Massachusetts, to begin manufacturing his new products. But he wasn't satisfied - he wanted a lid for his container that sealed airtight and watertight so food would stay fresher longer, so liquid would not spill, and so the containers could be set in a refrigerator at any angle.

His inspiration came from a very unlikely place. He looked at lids of all shapes and sizes. One day, he happened on a paint can. The lid on a paint can keeps the paint from drying out for years! Earl had a brainstorm. The world-famous Tupperware seal he designed is similar to a paint can lid turned upside down!

In 1946, Earl introduced Tupper Plastics brand products to the American consumer and began marketing them in hardware and department stores as well as by catalog. The products were displayed - and very often sat for a long time - on store shelves because there was no one to teach the American homemaker their unique features and how to work the now-famous seal.

Earl had the genius for creating Tupperware, but he had no idea how to make people want it.

However, a woman named Brownie Wise did know how to make people want Tupperware products. A friend gave Brownie her first set of bowls, bought at a hardware store. It took Brownie three days to figure out how the seal worked. But once she did, she began carrying a piece of Tupperware with her 24 hours a day to show other people.

Brownie wrote to the Tupper Company and told them she wanted to sell the products on the home party plan. At the time, the Tupper Company had no idea what she was talking about! Still, they sent her a product price list and she began selling.

In 1949, Earl noticed that Brownie Wise was selling more products than any of his other distributors. After an historic distributors' conference in Massachusetts, Earl asked Brownie to manage the distribution of the products. She agreed. Earl Tupper and Brownie Wise, a pair of geniuses in their respective areas, became a team and dedicated the company to the home party plan.

In April 1951, Tupperware was officially pulled from retail stores and Brownie Wise was hired to create the direct selling system for Tupperware. Although Brownie did not invent the home party method of sales, she instinctively understood the incredible power of the Tupperware party.

Brownie instilled the notion that recognition, praise and reward were the key to motivating the sales force. "If we build the people, they'll build the business," she said in 1954 and that's been a Tupperware value ever since.

Earl Tupper insisted that quality and innovation be built into each product down to the smallest detail. That tradition continues. Stringent standards are set for the manufacture of each piece from the mold-making process through the materials used.

From its modest beginning with that chunk of polyethylene slag, Tupperware is now sold in more than 100 countries around the world with sales of U.S. $1.2 billion. Tupperware continues Earl Tupper and Brownie Wise's vision and is a successful multinational company offering quality products and unlimited financial opportunity to men and women around the world.

Tupperware continually strives to offer its customers innovative and stylish products they want in a manner which is convenient. The party continues to be the main focus of Tupperware sales with over 80,000 independent Tupperware Consultants and Managers nationwide. At the party, guests can see live product demonstrations and learn hands-on how the Tupperware lifestyle can save time, money and hassle. Tupperware products are also available to consumers via the internet and direct mail as wall as at showcases in malls across the country. This brings products to the consumer and lets them choose how they would like to purchase.

(From the Tupperware 2001 New Consultant Guide)

Larissa's Tupperware
Home Tupperware Games History of Tupperware Tupperware FAQ Tupperware Recipes Links Online Store		History of Tupperware More than 50 years ago, a man named Earl Silas Tupper set out to change the world. Mr. Tupper was a chemist and inventor who worked in a DuPont chemical plant in 1937 where he was involved with that company's experiments with plastics before World War II. Believe it or not, plastic was a baby at the time. It was brittle, smelly and ugly and seemed worthless for even the simplest tasks. Earl wanted to change all that and so formed his Tupper Plastics Company in 1938 at the age of 31. Earl took a block of polyethylene slag, a waste product of the oil refining process, and did what no one had done before him - he purified it and turned it into a moldable plastic. His plastic was flexible and tough and pleasant. If you squeezed it, it retained its original shape. If you dropped it, it didn't break. If you put a chunk of cheese in it, the cheese came out smelling like cheese, not like plastic. It was revolutionary! In 1942, Earl bought his first manufacturing plant, a factory in Farnumsville, Massachusetts, to begin manufacturing his new products. But he wasn't satisfied - he wanted a lid for his container that sealed airtight and watertight so food would stay fresher longer, so liquid would not spill, and so the containers could be set in a refrigerator at any angle. His inspiration came from a very unlikely place. He looked at lids of all shapes and sizes. One day, he happened on a paint can. The lid on a paint can keeps the paint from drying out for years! Earl had a brainstorm. The world-famous Tupperware seal he designed is similar to a paint can lid turned upside down! In 1946, Earl introduced Tupper Plastics brand products to the American consumer and began marketing them in hardware and department stores as well as by catalog. The products were displayed - and very often sat for a long time - on store shelves because there was no one to teach the American homemaker their unique features and how to work the now-famous seal. Earl had the genius for creating Tupperware, but he had no idea how to make people want it. However, a woman named Brownie Wise did know how to make people want Tupperware products. A friend gave Brownie her first set of bowls, bought at a hardware store. It took Brownie three days to figure out how the seal worked. But once she did, she began carrying a piece of Tupperware with her 24 hours a day to show other people. Brownie wrote to the Tupper Company and told them she wanted to sell the products on the home party plan. At the time, the Tupper Company had no idea what she was talking about! Still, they sent her a product price list and she began selling. In 1949, Earl noticed that Brownie Wise was selling more products than any of his other distributors. After an historic distributors' conference in Massachusetts, Earl asked Brownie to manage the distribution of the products. She agreed. Earl Tupper and Brownie Wise, a pair of geniuses in their respective areas, became a team and dedicated the company to the home party plan. In April 1951, Tupperware was officially pulled from retail stores and Brownie Wise was hired to create the direct selling system for Tupperware. Although Brownie did not invent the home party method of sales, she instinctively understood the incredible power of the Tupperware party. Brownie instilled the notion that recognition, praise and reward were the key to motivating the sales force. "If we build the people, they'll build the business," she said in 1954 and that's been a Tupperware value ever since. Earl Tupper insisted that quality and innovation be built into each product down to the smallest detail. That tradition continues. Stringent standards are set for the manufacture of each piece from the mold-making process through the materials used. From its modest beginning with that chunk of polyethylene slag, Tupperware is now sold in more than 100 countries around the world with sales of U.S. $1.2 billion. Tupperware continues Earl Tupper and Brownie Wise's vision and is a successful multinational company offering quality products and unlimited financial opportunity to men and women around the world. Tupperware continually strives to offer its customers innovative and stylish products they want in a manner which is convenient. The party continues to be the main focus of Tupperware sales with over 80,000 independent Tupperware Consultants and Managers nationwide. At the party, guests can see live product demonstrations and learn hands-on how the Tupperware lifestyle can save time, money and hassle. Tupperware products are also available to consumers via the internet and direct mail as wall as at showcases in malls across the country. This brings products to the consumer and lets them choose how they would like to purchase. (From the Tupperware 2001 New Consultant Guide)