Ball's Brazilian Joint Venture to Build Beverage Can Plant in Alagoinhas to Meet Growing Demand

Ball's majority-owned joint venture in Brazil plans to build a new beverage can plant in Alagoinhas.

2/22/2011 --- Ball Corporation announced that Latapack-Ball Embalagens Ltda., the company's majority-owned beverage can joint venture in Brazil, plans to build a new beverage can manufacturing plant in Alagoinhas, in the Brazilian state of Bahia. The plant will initially operate one manufacturing line with the capability to make multiple aluminum can sizes, and is expected to start up in early 2012.

"The beverage can continues its strong growth in Brazil, and Alagoinhas is located in northeast Brazil, one of the fastest growing regions in the country," said Raymond J. Seabrook, executive vice president and chief operating officer, global packaging operations. "Increasing demand for specialty sizes in Brazil is providing additional opportunities for the can, and the output from our first line is contracted under a long-term agreement. The durable, light weight and 100-percent recyclable beverage can is a perfect match for the developing Brazilian market and is the package-of-choice for consumers there and elsewhere in the world."

Latapack-Ball currently operates two beverage can plants in Brazil, in Jacarei and Tres Rios, and a can end plant in Salvador. The Tres Rios plant started up in November 2009 and added a second production line during the first quarter of 2011.