Ball Corporation plans to produce recyclable aluminum ends for the company's beverage can customers at a new manufacturing facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The project is expected to create 200 high-wage jobs.

Company executives expect to immediately start site preparation in the Kentucky Transpark to build a 500,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to begin production in early 2022. The operation, Ball's first in the state, would provide capacity to supply aluminum ends to Ball's expanding North American network of beverage can manufacturing plants.

"Bowling Green will join our industry-leading network of more than 20 North American plants, including two new beverage can manufacturing plants currently under construction in Glendale, Arizona, and Pittston, Pennsylvania, scheduled to start up in early- and mid-2021, respectively," said Colin Gillis, president, Ball beverage packaging, North & Central America. "These investments will align our end production with our beverage can capacity investments and are supported by numerous long-term customer contracts to serve the unprecedented demand for sustainable aluminum packaging while furthering Ball's Drive for 10 vision for long-term success."

To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority in a special meeting on Thursday preliminarily approved a 10-year incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide up to $6 million in tax incentives based on the company's investment and annual targets of creation and maintenance of 198 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 10 years and paying an average hourly wage of $45 including benefits across those jobs.

By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, the company can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and/or wage assessments.

Additionally, KEDFA approved Ball for up to $1.3 million in tax incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA). KEIA allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing. Ball can also receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network.

"As we enter the new year, we will continue to focus our economic development efforts on sustained job and wage growth across the commonwealth," Governor Andy Beshear said. "This announcement of Ball Corp.'s new aluminum can end production facility in Warren County creating nearly 200 high-wage jobs is a major step toward securing a better future for Kentuckians. I want to thank Ball for this commitment to the workforce in and around Warren County, and I look forward to the company becoming part of Team Kentucky."

Ball's arrival in the commonwealth continues a trend of companies creating high-wage jobs throughout the state, a goal of Governor Beshear's administration. The 236 new location and expansion projects announced in Kentucky in 2020 are expected to create over 8,000 full-time jobs in the coming years at an average hourly wage of $22.11, the state's second highest mark of the past six years.

"This amazing project will have an enormous economic impact in South Central Kentucky," said Ron Bunch, president and CEO of the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. "We are grateful to Ball Metal Beverage Container Corporation not only for investing in our economy after several months of site considerations in multiple states, but also for bringing great jobs and future opportunities to our community."

Headquartered in Westminster, Colorado, Ball was founded in 1880 and has grown to include more than 100 locations employing over 18,000 people worldwide. The company became widely recognized over the years for its popular canning jars and currently produces infinitely recyclable aluminum packaging for beverages and personal care products, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services to commercial and governmental customers. In 2019, the company produced roughly 48 billion recyclable aluminum beverage containers throughout North America.