Ball to build $200mn aluminum cup facility in Georgia

Ball has earmarked about $200mn for a multi-year investment to build a new aluminum cup manufacturing facility in Rome, Georgia, to capture growing demand for the plastic alternative.

The manufacturing facility will be constructed adjacent to Ball's existing aluminum beverage can manufacturing plant in Rome and will be the first dedicated aluminum cup operation of its kind.

Aluminum cup production at the facility is expected to ramp up in the fourth quarter of 2020.

The Colorado-based company developed the aluminum cup over the past several years as an alternative to plastic cups for areas where they are common, including indoor and outdoor venues.

In August, Ball launched a pilot program with major venues and concessionaires across the US with a 20-ounce sized aluminum cup produced at its Westminster, Colorado, innovation facility.

Ball plans to introduce additional cup sizes to broaden its customer base and increase consumer adoption rates, when the Rome plant is fully operational.