Speciality container focus for Ball Corporation

Ball Corporation said that in the Metal Beverage Packaging, Americas and Asia, comparable segment operating earnings were $522.5m for full-year 2012 on sales of $4.5bn, compared to $481.7m in 2011 on sales of $4.4bn.

Operating performance offset increased manufacturing costs, and strong demand for specialty packaging continued in North America and Brazil.

During the fourth quarter, the company completed the closure of its Columbus, Ohio, 12-ounce beverage can plant to further align supply with demand and expanded specialty packaging capabilities across its North American manufacturing footprint.

In Brazil, Ball announced plans for a second production line in its Alagoinhas beverage can plant. While in Asia, profitability remained relatively flat on single-digit volume declines year over year in Q4 due to a focus on disciplined capacity alignment in a challenging pricing environment.

Metal beverage packaging, Europe, comparable segment results in 2012 were operating earnings of $219m on sales of $2bn, compared to $243.7m on sales of $2bn in 2011.

Full year comparable operating earnings were negatively affected by foreign currency translation of $24.7m with strong demand for specialty containers partially offsetting the impact of soft demand for beer.

Metal food and household products packaging, Americas, comparable segment results for 2012 were operating earnings of $131.1m on sales of $1.4bn, compared to $133.7mn in 2011 on sales of $1.4bn.

Fourth quarter results nearly offset the full year negative impact of a disappointing 2012 vegetable harvest and lack of inventory holding gains from the prior year and during Q4 the company completed the acquisition of an extruded aluminum manufacturing facility in Mexico.