Beverage Can Plant in Haßloch is Fit for the Future Again

As part of the renovation, a substantial sum was spent on modernising the technical equipment which, amongst other things, helped to improve environmental compatibility.

29/09/07 Ball Packaging Europe and Kurt Beck, minister-president of the Rhineland-Palatinate, along with the inhabitants of Haßloch are celebrating the official re-opening of the rebuilt beverage can plant in Haßloch. The plant was extensively damaged in a fire on April 1, 2006 and had to shut down production temporarily. The plant was re-commissioned in late April this year.

Ball Packaging Europe has invested roughly 75 million euros in the rebuilding of the plant. As part of the renovation, a substantial sum was spent on modernising the technical equipment which, amongst other things, helped to improve environmental compatibility. For example, it was possible to significantly reduce energy and water consumption in the production process.

As in the past, the plant has two can-making lines with a production capacity of roughly 1.3 billion cans annually. Production line 1 is a swing line, which is equipped to manufacture both 330 ml cans for soft drinks and 500 ml cans for beer. This enables the plant to react more flexibly to changing requirements in demand. The Haßloch facility supplies customers in Germany, Austria, France, Spain, the Benelux countries and to a certain extent also in eastern Europe.

Part of the original Haßloch production capacity of 2 billion cans has been relocated to the Hermsdorf plant in Saxony-Anhalt, which primarily supplies the strong growth markets in eastern Europe. The Haßloch workforce has therefore been reduced accordingly from approx. 190 to the current 165 and more than 60 new jobs have been created in Hermsdorf.

"The qualification and motivation of our employees in Haßloch and our conviction that the German market will recover, were the reasons which led to our decision to rebuild our plant on this site”, explains John A. Hayes, President of Ball Packaging Europe. “Our new, modern plant in Haßloch strengthens our European production network, so that we are well-prepared for future growth opportunities“.