Hartsville, South Carolina, USA, 22 January 2008 -- Sonoco (NYSE: SON), the market and technology leader in the manufacture of fiber-based concrete forms, today announced it has signed a letter of intent to acquire the assets of VoidForm International Ltd., a privately held maker of fiber-based concrete construction void forms. Terms of the pending transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1996, VoidForm International is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The company makes fiber-based void forms, used in the construction of cast-in-place concrete foundations where expansive soils are present.

While a concrete floor, beam, or wall is being poured, a void form provides temporary support for the concrete until the concrete can support itself on caissons or drilled piles. As the concrete cures and gains its full strength, the void form is engineered to degrade as its structural integrity is no longer required, thereby allowing the soil to expand without causing damage to the foundation.

Environmentally sustainable VoidForm products are made entirely of fiber-based corrugated paper and finished with a thin wax coating, making them lightweight and biodegradable.

About Sonoco

Founded in 1899, Sonoco is a USD 3.7 billion global manufacturer of industrial and consumer products and provider of packaging services, with approximately 330 operations in 35 countries, serving customers in some 85 nations. For more information on the company, visit http://www.sonoco.com/.