Broomfield – Packaging manufacturer Ball Corp. said Thursday that it will close two plants in North America, laying off about 340 workers, as part of a realignment of its food-and- household product division.
The closures, which will be completed by year’s end, will be of a leased facility in Alliance, Ohio, that Ball obtained as part of its acquisition of U.S. Can Corp. The plant makes plastic pails and has about 40 employees.
Ball also will close a plant in Burlington, Ontario, that manufactures metal food cans and has about 300 employees.
Ball will pay severance and offer job-transition services to laid-off workers, said John Friedery, senior vice president and chief operating officer for Ball Packaging Products.
Equipment from the Alliance plant will be moved to facilities in Ohio and Georgia, while equipment from the Canadian plant will be moved to other facilities, sold or scrapped.
The decisions were made after Ball acquired U.S. Can earlier this year. The company also expects to implement other cost- cutting measures as it continues the realignment, Friedery said.
Ball will take an estimated $25 million after-tax charge in the fourth quarter related to equipment disposal and the Burlington closure.
