Ball Issues Sustainability Report
BROOMFIELD, Colo., June 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) today issued the company's first sustainability report. The 42-page report, titled "Toward a Sustainable Future," identifies Ball's sustainability successes, goals and related data about the company's operations.
"Our prosperity is clearly linked to the prosperity and success of others," said R. David Hoover, Ball's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Ball's economic success allows us to fulfill our obligations as a responsible employer, manufacturer and neighbor. We are committed to doing our part in protecting the environment for future generations and to being a responsible citizen of our shared global community."
Ball's sustainability report identified five areas of focus for the company:
-- Advance Sustainable Packaging -- Reduce Our Environmental Footprint -- Care for Our Employees and Communities -- Create Prosperity for Us and Others -- Strengthen Stakeholder Relationships
"We realize that we can make more progress on some of our goals by collaborating with others -- our suppliers, our customers, consumers, governments, local communities and other stakeholders," said John A. Hayes, executive vice president and chief operating officer. "Our report is a catalyst to reach out to those constituencies to determine areas of mutual interest, concern and opportunity."
Ball's comprehensive 2007 Sustainability Report is available online at http://www.ball.com. A summary brochure and the company's responses to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting framework are also available online.
Ball Corporation is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic 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 15,500 people worldwide and reported 2007 sales of approximately $7.4 billion.
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 at our Web site and at http://www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in product demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials, including recent significant increases in resin, steel, aluminum and energy costs, and the ability to pass such increases on to customers; 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, including our beverage can end project; 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, tax rates and activities of foreign subsidiaries. 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; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures; integration of recently acquired businesses; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including in respect of 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
Released June 30, 2008