With greater competition for consumer attention and increased focus on corporate responsibility and environmental protection, it has never been more critical for brand owners to make packaging choices that have a positive impact. No one understands this imperative more than Crown.
For the last 130 years, Crown had embodied the values of sustainability, both in terms of what we make and how we make it. Our primary product is metal packaging, which is inherently sustainable, and our operations are based on continuous improvement, efficiency, safety and resource management. We continue to elevate our sustainability commitments and seek to drive meaningful change in collaboration with our customers, suppliers and the industry at large. In addition, our extensive global footprint and track record of innovation helps customers bring their products to market and tell their unique stories in bold, unforgettable ways. The result is lasting value for our customers in terms of strengthened market presence, consumer loyalty and progress against their sustainability goals.
With 200 plants in 40 countries, Crown is uniquely positioned to support customers in surging beverage cans markets in the Americas and Southeast Asia as well as historically strong geographies such as Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Today, aluminum beverage cans, the world’s most sustainable and dynamic packaging format, represent more than 60% of our business. Across the globe, the format is witnessing historic levels of growth. In North America alone, approximately 75% of new beverage launches now appear in cans – more than double the rate of just five years ago. Our diverse product portfolio is rounded out by a strong North American tinplate business, supporting the food, beverage and personal care markets, and our Transit Packaging segment, which provides critical in-transit protection to high-value, high-volume goods across multiple industries. Our Asia Pacific segment also includes non-beverage can operations, primarily food cans and promotional packaging.
With confidence in the positive trajectory of Crown's key markets, we are strategically expanding our geographic footprint by breaking ground on new facilities, adding lines in existing facilities to increase capacity and enhancing customer service, support and innovation. These investments also help advance our product portfolio and graphics capabilities to stay ahead of market trends.