Sustainable packaging solutions provider Ball is planning to stop production at its beverage packaging plant in San Martino, Italy, by the end of this year.
Image: Ball aluminium cans. Photo: courtesy of Ball Corporation.
The beverage packaging plant, which was opened in 1981, employs about 70 people.
The company said it will take the decision after due negotiation with the trade union and carry out the proposed closure in a socially acceptable way, and to support employees via several measures.
Ball is also planning to transform one production line in its Nogara, Italy, beverage container facility to Sleek cans.
The conversion is reported to take place nearly one year after the proposed closure of San Martino facility.
Ball Beverage Packaging Europe president Colin Gillis said: “Given the market environment in Italy, we need to ensure that we remain cost competitive for the long term.
“While closing a plant is always a difficult decision, our goal is ensuring the long-term success of the business for all of our stakeholders, including our 3,600 employees in Europe.”
The closure of the Italian facility comes on the heels of the company’s announcement in July that it will cease production at its beverage packaging plant in Cuiabá, Brazil.
Customers currently supported by the Cuiabá plant will be supplied by other Ball facilities in Brazil.
In the past two years, Ball has decided to close three beverage-packing facilities in Alabama, California and Texas; a can-production plant in Germany; and food-can production line in Springdale, Arkansas.
Ball supplies sustainable packaging solutions for beverage, personal care, and household products customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the US government.
The company and its subsidiaries employ 17,500 people globally. Net sales of the company in 2017 were $11bn.
In June this year, Ball and Platinum Equity have entered into joint venture and definitive purchase agreements to form Ball Metalpack, a new packaging company to manufacture steel containers for aerosol products, food, household consumables, pet food, nutritional and other products in the US.
Platinum Equity will own 51% of Ball Metalpack and Ball Corporation will own 49%.