By Rachel Nix, Building Kentucky
Ball Corporation is coming to Kentucky with the announcement of its first production facility in the Commonwealth. The new Bowling Green manufacturing outlet will create 200 high-wage jobs.
Recyclable aluminum ends for the Westminster, Colorado-based company’s beverage can customers will be produced at the 500,000-square-foot facility. Scheduled to begin production in early 2022, site preparation and construction will start immediately. Hiring should begin later this year for positions including production technicians, industrial electricians, machinists, material handlers, leadership and support staff.
Aluminum is big business in Kentucky, with more than 185 facilities in the state employing over 20,000 Kentuckians full time. The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) brought Ball Corporation to the state through a 10-year incentive agreement under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The agreement is based on performance including job creation, wage average and other annual targets to provide up to $6 million in tax incentives.
Ball chose Bowling Green for its new facility because of the city’s proximity to main distribution routes and existing supply chain partners, the regional labor base and the cooperation of state, regional and local officials.
Ball was founded in 1880 and has more than 100 locations employing 18,300 worldwide. Originally known for producing canning jars, the company produces billions of beverage containers each year.
