Ball Awarded Top Honors in Metal Decorating at 2012 IMDA Excellence in Quality Conference

BROOMFIELD, Colo., June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) and its high-quality can graphics won five awards, including the Grand Award, at the recent International Metal Decorator's Association (IMDA) conference in Bloomingdale, Ill. Ball received the overall 2012 Grand Award, Decorator of the Year, two "Best of Category" awards and an "Award of Excellence" for the highest quality in metal decorating.

"Advanced graphics capabilities for cans are a game-changer for our customers as they build unique brands and compete for consumer mindshare," said Jim Peterson, Ball's vice president, marketing and corporate affairs. "Our Graphics Center of Excellence, (GCOE) leverage the advantages of the can's 360-degree surface and provide industry-leading graphics that help build brands. We are honored that our focus on quality metal decorating has been recognized by the IMDA with these five awards."

"This year was a first for our competition with Ball sweeping the Two-Piece Category and the overall 2012 Grand Award," said Mike Masenior, executive director of the International Metal Decorators Association. "Ball's presswork is a testament to exceptional quality metal decorating."

Ball received:

• The Grand Award and Best of Category Award for Two-Piece Cans for the 12-oz. can for Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale craft beer. The can's graphics featured Ball's Eyeris® printing technique to reproduce Sierra Nevada's classic mountain vista image. It was produced at Ball's metal beverage packaging facility in Fairfield, Calif.
• The Award of Excellence for Two-Piece Cans for Ball's 16-oz. beverage can for New Belgium Brewing's Fat Tire Amber Ale. The Eyeris printed can feature the brewery's iconic bicycle and was made at Ball's metal beverage packaging plant in Fort Worth, Texas.
• The Best of Category for Aerosol Containers Award for Ball's 9.5-oz. aerosol can for Barbasol's Pure Silk Moisturizing Shave Cream. The label was printed using Ball's six-color hexachrome process, unique in the metal decorating industry. The can was made at Ball's Elgin, Ill. plant.
• The 2012 Decorator of the Year award, which recognized Ball's Levi Boss, Graphics Specialist – Graphics Center of Excellence, Westminster, Colo., and Roger Robinson, Inspector QC Chief, Rome, Ga., metal beverage packaging plant for their exceptional metal decorating skills.

The IMDA's annual "Excellence in Quality" awards competition recognizes companies from around the world that provide dynamic and high quality metal decorated pieces from all methods of the decorating industry. Entries are judged on the quality of printing, the degree of difficulty, the appearance of coating finishes, registration and the technical expertise required for each piece. For more information on the IMDA, please visit www.metaldecorators.com.    

Ball Corporation is a supplier of high quality packaging for beverage, food and household products customers, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 14,500 people worldwide and reported 2011 sales of more than $8.6 billion. For the latest Ball news and for other company information, please visit http://www.ball.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99.2 in our Form 10-K, which are available on our website and at www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in product demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost reductions; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; political instability and sanctions; and changes in foreign exchange rates or tax rates. Factors that might affect our aerospace segment include: funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts. Factors that might affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: accounting changes; changes in senior management; the recent global recession and its effects on liquidity, credit risk, asset values and the economy; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including U.S. FDA and other actions affecting products filled in our containers, or chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; governmental investigations; technological developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust, patent and other litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; uncertainties surrounding the U.S. government budget and debt limit; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.

SOURCE Ball Corporation