Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) a leading supplier of metal packaging products worldwide, today announced that its Brazilian subsidiary CROWN Embalagens S.A., plans to build its fourth beverage can plant in Brazil.
The new facility, which will produce two-piece aluminum cans in multiple sizes, is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2011. The new plant will initially have one line with an annual capacity of 1 billion cans per year and will be designed to support additional production lines as future market needs require.
The new plant will be located in northern Brazil to meet the growing demand in the region for beer and soft drink cans. Crown has been operating in Brazil since 1942 and has a strong presence with two-piece aluminum beverage can plants in Cabreuva (Sao Paulo State), Estancia (Sergipe State) and Ponta Grossa (Parana State) and a beverage end plant in Manaus (Amazonas State). The new plant will expand Crown's annual production capacity to 7.5 billion cans in Brazil.
"Brazil is an important growth market for us and our partner, Petropar SA. This expansion will help meet the country's increased demand for beverage cans and demonstrates Crown's continuing commitment to grow with our customers," commented Raymond L. McGowan, Jr., President of Crown's Americas Division who also noted that Brazil experienced double-digit growth for beverage cans in 2010. "The aluminum beverage can is perfect for the Brazilian market; it is recyclable and sustainable, is shipped easily and most efficiently preserves the quality of the beverage product for the ultimate consumer. As we look ahead to the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, both of which will be held in Brazil, Crown is well positioned to grow to meet demand."