Malcom McLean

Malcom McLean
McLean at railing, Port Newark, 1957
Born
Malcolm Purcell McLean

November 14, 1913
DiedMay 25, 2001(2001-05-25) (aged 87)
New York City, US
Other names"The Father of Containerization"
OccupationsInventor and Entrepreneur
Years active1935-2001
Known for
Spouses
Sarah McLean
(m. 1959⁠–⁠1992)
Irena McLean
(m. 1993⁠–⁠2001)
Children3 (with first wife)

Malcolm "Malcom" Purcell McLean (November 14, 1913 – May 25, 2001) was an American businessman who invented the modern intermodal shipping container, which revolutionized transport and international trade during the second half of the twentieth century. Containerization resulted in a major reduction of the cost of freight transportation by eliminating the need for repeated, labor-intensive handling of individual pieces of cargo, and also improved three-dimensional packing capability, reduced damage and cargo theft, and decreased inventory costs by shortening transit time. Containerization is a major enabler of globalization.