Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that Ball Corporation, a provider of aluminum packaging for beverages, personal care, and household products, will expand its operations in Rome. The company will build a new aluminum cups manufacturing plant, creating more than 180 new jobs and investing more than $200 million in the project.

“As the Top State for Business six years in a row, Georgia’s manufacturing industry has seen unprecedented growth in recent years and this expansion is indicative of that unrivaled success,” said Governor Kemp. “I am thrilled to see another member of the Georgia Made family expand operations, and I am confident our top notch workforce in the region will pay huge dividends for Ball Corporation in the years to come.”

This new plant will manufacture aluminum cups, and serve the growing demand for innovative, sustainable beverage packaging in the U.S. market. It is expected to come online in Q4 of 2020.

“We're increasingly hearing from customers and consumers that they want to do the right thing for the environment, and they need more options,” said John A. Hayes, chairman, president, and CEO of Ball Corporation. “This product launch is aligned with our Drive for 10 strategy and is another step in innovating to serve unmet needs. Using our years of experience and specialized expertise, we are proud to provide both our customers and consumers with another environmentally friendly and fun option in our industry-leading portfolio of aluminum packages.”

The new facility will be adjacent to Ball’s existing aluminum beverage can manufacturing plant in Rome, representing a significant expansion of their footprint in the region. Founded in 1880, the company employs more than 17,500 people worldwide and has annual sales of $11.6 billion.

“Floyd County is excited to see one of our local industries expand,” said Scotty Hancock, chairman of the Floyd County Commission. “We look forward to the growth of quality jobs and significant investment back into the community.”

“This decision by Ball Corporation will strengthen our community and create good jobs for our residents,” said Bill Collins, mayor of the city of Rome. “We are pleased to work with our local industries and highlight our business-friendly environment to secure quality economic development.”

Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Project Manager Taylor Kielty represented the Global Commerce Division on this project in partnership with the Rome-Floyd County Development Authority.

“We are immensely proud of the success that Ball Corporation is seeing in Floyd County,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “The company’s growth is a testament to Georgia’s booming manufacturing industry. I want to thank Ball for their continued investment in our state and all of our local and statewide economic development partners for their work to make this announcement possible.”