White Cap Company was started in 1926 by William P. It was located in an old factory on Goose Island, in the Chicago river. The White Cap Company was involved in a lot of areas: in closure production and distribution, in new product development, and in design of cap-making and capping machinery (Gentile 2). In 1954 White Cap[ came up with the twist-off type of closure and a few years later came up with the press-on / twist off type of cap which was very popular. White Cap's customers were producers of ketchup, juices, baby foods, preserves, pickles, and other perishable foods (Gentile 2). However, in 1956 White Cap was bought out by Continental Can, and the name turned to Continental White Cap, and became the most profitable of the firm's nine other divisions.
When White Cap was bought out by Continental Can, the White family continued to manage the company, and its traditional company culture continued. W.P. White and later on his son, Bob, made the working environment a very friendly and relaxed, family like place. The main plant was in the middle of a Polish neighborhood, and those people made up of a lot of the employees. Once hired, employees tended to remain and to bring in their friends and relatives as well (Gentile 2). Continental White cap was a good place to work, "I really think that many employees felt that White Cap bought Continental Can, instead of the other way around", say the manager of human resources at the Chicago Plants.
The Whites were great people to work for, they seemed more like a co-worker than a boss. They were even know to lend money out to an hourly worker who had bills to pay and was in financial trouble. In exchange for hard work and commitment, employees received good salaries, job security, and the feeling that they were part of a "winner" (Gentile 2). Chicago was a very heavy unionized area, however, White Cap was able to keep nearly all employees union-free.
