Jun 24, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. Sonoco announced that Ron O’Neal has been promoted to division vice president, Paper Converting Europe, according to Eddie Smith, vice president, Industrial Products (IPD)/Paper and Consumer Europe. O’Neal will have operational responsibility for Sonoco’s 36 Industrial Products and Consumer packaging plants in 17 European countries as part of the creation of a new global manufacturing matrix organization for Sonoco’s Industrial Sector. Prior to this appointment, O’Neal had been operations director for IPD Europe since 2006. O’Neal, who joined Sonoco in 1991 as general manager for Sonoco reels in the United Kingdom, also led successful manufacturing operations in Sonoco’s IPD North America, Protective Packaging and Wire and Cable Reels divisions. Sonoco is a $4.0 billion global manufacturer of industrial and consumer products and provider of packaging services.