Ian Strachan entered the thermoforming industry when he became General Manager of Elvinco Group of Companies in 1971, where he was involved with development of new technologies in thermoforming, injection molding, blow molding, and extrusion. From 1974–1988, Strachan served as Managing Director for Nampak Mono Containers, a thermoforming and steam chest molding company. From 1988–1992, he served as CEO and Deputy Chairman of Sun Packaging Group, one of the largest packaging firms in South Africa.