Ball Records Gain on Sale of DigitalGlobe Shares

BROOMFIELD, Colo., May 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ball Corporation (NYSE:
BLL) will record an after-tax gain of approximately $31 million, or
approximately 32 cents per diluted share, and realize cash proceeds of
approximately $37 million in the company's second quarter results on the sale
of 75 percent of its shares of DigitalGlobe stock.

DigitalGlobe, which completed an initial public offering of its stock today,
was formed in 1995 as EarthWatch, Inc., by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
and WorldView Imaging Corporation. EarthWatch changed its name to DigitalGlobe
in 2002.

"As a founder and shareholder of DigitalGlobe and the supplier of the
spacecraft and instruments for its two orbiting remote sensing satellites, we
are pleased with the company's successful public offering," said R. David
Hoover, Ball's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We look
forward to the successful launch and commissioning later this year of the
DigitalGlobe WorldView-2 satellite, which Ball Aerospace also built."

Ball still owns approximately 700,000 shares of DigitalGlobe and remains a
minority shareholder.

Ball Corporation is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic packaging for
beverage, food and household products customers, and of aerospace and other
technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation
and its subsidiaries employ more than 14,000 people worldwide and reported
2008 sales of approximately $7.6 billion. For the latest Ball news and for
other company information, please visit www.ball.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events
and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates"
and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause
actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The
company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99.2 in our
Form 10-K, which are available at our Web site and at www.sec.gov. Factors
that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in product demand
and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials; competitive packaging
availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop
yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity
improvements or production cost reductions, including our beverage can end
project; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in
major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier;
and changes in foreign exchange rates, tax rates and activities of foreign
subsidiaries. Factors that might affect our aerospace segment include:
funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial
contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting
segment contracts. Factors that might affect the company as a whole include
those listed plus: accounting changes; changes in senior management; the
current global credit squeeze and its effects on liquidity, credit risk, asset
values and the economy; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions, joint
ventures or divestitures; integration of recently acquired businesses;
regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace
safety, including in respect of chemicals or substances used in raw materials
or in the manufacturing process; governmental investigations; technological
developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust, patent and other
litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return projected and earned
on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes;
reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited
results due to statutory audits or other effects.

SOURCE Ball Corporation

Investors, Ann T. Scott, +1-303-460-3537, ascott@ball.com, or Media, Scott
McCarty, +1-303-460-2103, smccarty@ball.com, both of Ball Corporation