Ball to close plant in North America
Ball Corporation’s food and aerosol packaging plant in Elgin, Illinois, will cease production in December.
Ball wants to consolidate capacity in its North American food and household products packaging business. The company says the plant’s customers will be supplied by other Ball facilities.
“Closing Elgin reduces capacity and, coupled with other changes within our manufacturing system, will enable us to maximise value in our existing business by supplying customers from a consolidated asset base and redistributing some manufacturing operations within our system,” says Michael Feldser, chief operating officer of Ball’s global metal food and household products packaging business.
The Elgin plant produces aerosol and speciality steel cans as well as flat steel sheet used by other Ball food and household products packaging facilities. The plant’s 245 employees will be provided benefits, including outplacement and severance pay, in accordance with company policies. Elgin employees can apply for open positions within Ball.
Ball will report an after-tax charge of approximately $21 million for this closure, the majority of which will be recorded in 2013.
