The Birth of an Icon.

In 1893, the Ajax Envelope Company of New York City and the Howard Manufacturing Company of Jersey City formed the Ameican Paper Goods Company and moved their operations to Kensington in Berlin, Connecticut, where they secured the rights to the Mattabessett River.  The company erected a dam, which survives today, and created Paper Goods Pond, now a town park. The surviving factory and office building was erected in 1893. 

The company produced waxed paper bags for tobacco and seeds and envelopes for medicine and photographs, later also making paper cups. Continental Can Company bought the factory in 1954 and closed it five years later.

In 1959, Sherwood Industries, known as the Sherri Cup Company, purchased the property.  Sherri continued to manufacture paper cups and also made machine tools for the paper industry.  Millions of the iconic Anthora paper cups, created in 1963 and displaying the words “We Are Happy to Serve You” were first produced in the building.  The disposable cup was originally designed by Leslie Buck, Sherri Cup salesman, to appeal to Greek-owned coffee shops in New York City.  The company was absorbed by the Solo Cup Company and the factory closed in 2004.