Crown Completes Construction Of New Beverage Can Facility

Production of 24, 25 and 33cl beverage cans to begin in September 2005

Philadelphia, PA ­– CROWN Bevcan Europe & Middle East announced today that it has completed construction of its new 15,000 square meter beverage can facility in North Africa. Located in the Tunisian capital of Tunis, the plant has an initial annual production capacity of 635 million beverage cans and is scheduled to begin commercial production in September 2005.

The new plant is part of Crown's initiative to meet rapidly growing demand for beverage cans in the North African and Middle Eastern regions. Historically, Crown has served the North African market from its production facilities in Spain, Greece and Turkey. Having a plant located in Tunis now enables Crown to supply this market with locally produced cans.

CROWN Maghreb Can is a joint venture between Crown and long-standing regional partner Ahmad Hamad Algosaibi & Bros. With a workforce of 81 employees, the plant will supply 24, 25 and 33cl aluminium beverage cans to Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya. The new plant raises the total number of production facilities operated by CROWN Bevcan Europe & Middle East to thirteen plants across nine countries.

Crown has appointed Mr. Naim Sghaier to the position of Sales Manager for the region. Based at the new facility in Tunis, Sghaier will draw upon his previous experience in the packaging industry in the region to serve the growing Maghreb beverage can market.

"Crown's new facility demonstrates our commitment to meeting the continued rapid growth for beverage cans in the Maghreb region as well as the growing European demand for slim cans," explains Sghaier. "More and more consumers are attracted to the can as an attractive, quick chilling, durable and conveniently portable packaging option."

SOURCE: CROWN Bevcan Europe & Middle East