Ball to Acquire Aerocan S.A.S.

European Acquisition to Expand Company's Metal Packaging Growth Platform

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Dec 08, 2010, 09:45 ET

BROOMFIELD, Colo., Dec. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

Summary
- Ball has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Aerocan S.A.S. for approximately euro 221 million inclusive of debt and other liabilities.
- Aerocan is a leading supplier of aluminum aerosol cans and bottles in Europe.
- The strategic acquisition broadens Ball's participation in a growth market and offers additional opportunities with new and existing customers.
- Ball expects after-tax returns from the acquired business to exceed Ball's return requirements.
- The acquisition is expected to close during the first quarter of 2011, subject to customary closing conditions.

Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement with Barclays Private Equity to acquire Aerocan S.A.S., a leading supplier of aluminum aerosol cans and bottles in Europe, for approximately euro 221 million inclusive of debt and other liabilities. The acquisition is expected to close during the first quarter of 2011, subject to customary closing conditions. The company expects the after-tax returns from the acquired business to exceed Ball's return requirements.

Aerocan manufactures aluminum aerosol cans and bottles, and aluminum slugs used to make them, for customers in the personal care, pharmaceutical, beverage and food industries. It operates three aerosol can manufacturing plants – in Velim, Czech Republic; Bellegarde, France; and Devizes, United Kingdom – and is a 51 percent owner of a joint venture aluminum slug plant in Beaurepaire, France. The four plants employ approximately 480 people.

"This is an important strategic step for our company, as it allows us to enter a growing segment of the metal packaging world where we can broaden our market development efforts into a new customer base," said John A. Hayes, Ball Corporation's president and chief operating officer. "Acquiring Aerocan, like the purchase of Neuman Aluminum in the United States earlier this year, is aligned with our strategy of expanding our product portfolio and manufacturing capabilities while leveraging our extensive operational expertise in our global metal packaging businesses."

Ball Corporation is a supplier of high-quality packaging for beverage, food and household products customers, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 14,000 people worldwide and reported 2009 sales of more than $7.3 billion including discontinued operations. For the latest Ball news and for other company information, please visit http://www.ball.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99.2 in our

Form 10-K, which are available on our website and at www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in product demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost reductions; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; and changes in foreign exchange rates or tax rates. Factors that might affect our aerospace segment include: funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts. Factors that might affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: accounting changes; changes in senior management; the current global recession and its effects on liquidity, credit risk, asset values and the economy; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions; integration of recently acquired businesses; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including U.S. FDA and other actions affecting products filled in our containers, or chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; governmental investigations; technological developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust, patent and other litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.

SOURCE Ball Corporation