Ball Corp. of Broomfield, Colo., will close an injection molding plant in Alliance by the first quarter of 2007 as it realigns North American capacity.
Ball acquired the 40-employee plant as part of the U.S. Can Corp. operations it purchased earlier this year, spokesman Scott McCarty said Oct. 12 by telephone.
The plant makes plastic pails for paints and chemicals. The equipment will be moved to other plants in Bellevue, Ohio, and Atlanta.
There could be more plant closings coming. John Friedery, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Ball packaging products, said the firm is studying its entire manufacturing structure.
``We anticipate work on our realignment plan to be completed during the fourth quarter, with implementation continuing in 2007,'' he said in a news release.
Analyst Ghansham Panjabi of Wachovia Capital Markets LLC in New York said he expects a broad-based restructuring. Ball's current plan is to reduce operating costs by $8 million by 2007.