Ball to Expand in Growing Southeast Asia Beverage Can Market

BROOMFIELD, Colo., March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL), announced today it has entered into an agreement with its joint venture partner Thai Beverage Can Limited (TBC), a 50 percent associated company owned by Berli Jucker Public Company Limited (SET: BJC.BK), to build a beverage can manufacturing plant in Vietnam.

The plant will be located in the Tan Uyen district in Binh Duong province. Ball will hold an approximately 50 percent economic interest in the joint venture facility, which is expected to begin production in the first half of 2012.

"The growth of the middle class in Southeast Asia, and the preference of consumers there for beverage cans, continue to increase demand for our containers," said Raymond J. Seabrook, executive vice president and chief operating officer, global packaging. "The beverage can market in the region is projected to grow more than 15 percent annually over the next several years. We have operated a joint venture beverage can plant in Thailand with Thai Beverage Can since 1996, and have worked closely with our partners as we have expanded into emerging markets. This Vietnam plant fits our long-term strategy to grow our worldwide beverage can business to meet increasing demand from our customers."

The one-line plant will have an initial annual production capacity of 850 million cans and will primarily use equipment relocated from other Ball facilities. The total value of the joint venture, including contributed equipment by Ball, is approximately $45 million. The plant will supply contracted customers in Vietnam as well as export beverage cans to adjacent countries, and can be expanded to meet growing demand.  

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 2010 sales of more than $7.6 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; 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 current global recession and its effects on liquidity, credit risk, asset values and the economy; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions; integration of recently acquired businesses; 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; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.

SOURCE Ball Corporation