Ball Corp, a supplier of metal and plastic packaging products, announced Thursday that by the end of 2006 it will close two North American manufacturing facilities as part of a realignment of the company’s Metal Food & Household Products, Americas, segment after the acquisition of U.S. Can Corp. earlier this year.
Ball will close a facility in Alliance, Ohio, that manufactures plastic pails for paints and chemicals. The Canadian subsidiary of Ball Corp. will close a metal food can manufacturing plant in Burlington, Ontario. The facility produces three-piece steel food can bodies and ends, and does metal cutting and coating.
“The opportunity to consolidate manufacturing operations into fewer facilities is critical to us realizing the synergies we knew were achievable following the acquisition,” Ball Corp. senior vice president and COO John A. Friedery said.
“We are carefully studying our entire manufacturing structure and expect there will be other opportunities to improve efficiencies by further realigning production capacities. We anticipate work on our realignment plan to be completed during the fourth quarter, with implementation continuing in 2007,” Friedery added.
According to Friedery, the plants will be pay severance and offer transition services for the 40 Alliance and 300 Burlington plant employees.