About In 1945, a returning World War ll Navy veteran established the Midwest Can Company as a small shop in Chicago and began manufacturing portable gas cans. Midwest Can containers are manufactured with high quality HDPE plastics and feature our exclusive vapor barrier technology built directly into our container walls. Midwest Can provides innovative container solutions that are aligned with the needs. The unique two-stage safety system provides a “double layer” of protection from accidental fires that can result when handling and storing gasoline and other flammable liquids.