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O-I Inaugurates New Furnace and Facilities at Barcelona Plant

O-I – the world’s leading manufacture of glass packaging – has made 24 million € investment in its Barcelona plant in order to provide a better service to its customers.

Among the improvements is a new furnace that makes the plant one of the most advanced in Europe both in terms of technology and environmental sustainability.

The new furnace features the latest O-I technology, while a new machine enabling the manufacture of lighter weight bottles is the first of its kind to be installed in Europe.

President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Artur Mas i Gavarró, inaugurated the state-of-the-art facilities at O-I’s glass packaging factory in Barcelona on 16 February 2011. The Special Representative of the State of the Zona Franca Consortium, Manuel Royes, and the Regional Representative of the Government in Catalonia, Salvador Jorba were also at the ceremony,. Among the improvements made at the plant are the installation of a new furnace and a new machine that will increase the production of the Catalan factory by more than 35%, generating around 20 new jobs in the next few months.

Special guests, local authorities and customers attending the opening ceremony were invited to take a tour of the new facilities. President of the Generalitat, Artur Mas i Gavarró, accompanied Vitaliano Torno, VP Sales Marketing Europe, François Pierrot, VP Business Development Europe and Gonzalo Fernandez, O-I’s leader in Spain to declare the new facility open. At the conclusion of the ceremony, attendees were each presented with a commemorative bottle.

The remodelling of the Barcelona factory – located in the Zona Franca de Barcelona, covering an area of 84,000m2 – has represented a major investment for O-I. The renovation project has included the installation of a new furnace, incorporating O-I’s latest patented technology, which will increase production to meet the needs and expectations of customers both in the short- and long-term. The new machine served by this furnace produces high quality, lighter weight bottles using innovative technology – based on the "blow blow" system – which is the first of its kind to be installed in Europe.

The new facilities at the O-I factory are completely in line with the company’s commitment to sustainability, saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions. This commitment is seen by O-I as an essential basis for further growth in the Iberian market. "Our goal is to advance technologically in a sustainable manner in order to be the best global solutions provider for our customers," says François Pierrot, VP Business Development Europe.

"The redevelopment of the Barcelona factory will allow us to increase our production by 35% and thus meet the huge demand for glass containers from the powerful food and drinks industry in the Iberian Peninsula," says Gonzalo Fernandez, O-I’s of O-I Spain. With the aim of becoming the growth partner for local customers, the company’s Iberian sales force has been strengthened, and is supported by the expertise of O-I’s European team who work in specialised segments by product categories.