Metal and glass packaging solutions provider Ardagh Group has taken a decision to permanently stop production at its Lincoln glass container production facility in Illinois, US.
Image: Ardagh has decided to permanently close Lincoln glass container production facility in US. Photo: courtesy of Ardagh Group.
The Lincoln facility, which employs around 150 people, is expected to be closed on or after 30 April this year.
Ardagh will provide services to the affected customers from other facilities of its North American glass division.
Ardagh said the footprint adjustment combined with its ongoing focus on cost reduction will help enhance competitiveness and optimize effectiveness of capital investments.
The company also noted that it continue to pursue improvements in flexibility, quality and service to further strengthen the company’s position in the US glass market and restore appropriate levels of profitability
Ardagh continues to pursue improvements in flexibility, quality and service to further strengthen our position in the U.S. glass market and progressively restore appropriate levels of profitability in North American glass division.
In March 2018, Ardagh also closed a glass container production facility in Milford of Massachusetts.
With around 23,000 employees and global sales of around $8.6bn, Ardagh operates more than 100 facilities in 22 countries.
The company provides metal and glass packaging solutions for major food, beverage and consumer brands.
Ardagh produces glass packaging in all shapes and sizes, and provides them in around 20 different colors. The glass is a permanent material that can be 100% recyclable.
In January this year, Ardagh announced that it will invest at its Valparaiso facility in Indiana to meet the increased demand from customers for its beverage can packaging.
The investment allows the Valparaiso facility, along with Ardagh’s seven beverage can manufacturing plants in North America, to provide differentiated packaging solutions for beverage can customers.
Constructed in 1987, Valparaiso facility features 135,000ft² of manufacturing and warehouse space and involved in the production of end or top of the can and the tab that consumers pull to open the can.
The latest investment allows to increase production by around 10% at the Valparaiso facility, which is ISO–9001:2015 certified.