News

Ball Corporation, the US packaging manufacturer, is to close its plastic packaging plant in Brampton, Ontario by the end of the third quarter of 2008.

The closed operations will be consolidated into the company's other plastic packaging manufacturing facilities in North America.

Brampton's 90 employees will be provided with severance and outplacement services. The closure is expected to cost the firm around $5m (£2.5m), of which approximately $2m will be recorded in the second quarter of 2008.

Ball acquired the facility in 2006 when it snapped up certain North American plastic bottle container assets of Alcan Packaging.

In April Ball Corporation reported a 1% increase in first quarter net earnings to $153.4m (£120.5m).