Ball Expands Metal Beverage Packaging Pilot Manufacturing Capabilities at Colorado Innovation Center

Ball Expands Metal Beverage Packaging Pilot Manufacturing Capabilities at
Colorado Innovation Center

BROOMFIELD, Colo., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ball Corporation (NYSE:
BLL) recently expanded its metal beverage packaging pilot manufacturing line
at the Ball Technology & Innovation Center (BTIC) in Broomfield, Colo., by
adding a new palletizer, a state-of-the-art decorator and several other
improvements. This multi-million dollar investment opens up numerous new
opportunities for Ball's metal beverage packaging customers.

"Ball provides metal beverage cans and bottles in many shapes and sizes with
value-enhancing features, including brilliant graphics innovations that make
them an exceptional brand billboard on retail shelves," says Mike Vaughn, vice
president, packaging innovation, Ball Corporation. "We continuously work to
improve our packaging and its printing options, and now have even better tools
to do so with our improved pilot line and new decorator."

The latest improvements to the metal beverage pilot line enable:
-- Production of between 10 and 50,000 aluminum cans or Alumi-Tek®
bottles
for consumer testing or small product launches
-- Flexibility to produce a range of can sizes from 202 to 211 in
diameter,
307 to 708 in height and 5.5-oz. to 16-oz. in volume
-- Pilot production of standard cans or Alumi-Tek reclosable bottles

-- Testing of graphics innovations like Eyeris® high definition printing,
thermochromic ink, matte finish and more.

In addition to improving pilot production capabilities, the pilot line
expansion gives Ball even more capacity for beverage can graphics proofing.
Ball has been using a single Rutherford decorator to proof customer graphics
on 12-oz. and 16-oz. cans at the BTIC for many years, and in the past year
alone worked with customers to proof hundreds of new labels. The addition of a
new, state-of-the-art decorator doubles Ball's capacity for graphics proofing
and provides the flexibility to decorate a broader range of can sizes, from
5.5-oz. to 16-oz., as well as Alumi-Tek bottles.

Packaging customers are always looking for new ways to differentiate their
products. Ball's innovation centers - in Westminster, Colo., and Bonn, Germany
- are ideally equipped to meet this customer need by sharpening the focus of
innovation efforts, maximizing efficiency and accelerating the pace of package
development. Ball's BTIC was originally dedicated in 1985, remodeled in 1997
and expanded in 2004 to accommodate the company's metal and plastic packaging
research labs and offices. It offers the full strength of Ball's innovation,
engineering and research capabilities at one location.

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 14,500 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.

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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, Jennifer
Hoover, +1-303-460-5541, jhoover@ball.com, both of Ball Corporation