The Ball aluminium beverage can plant in Kent, Washington, will reportedly close on February 29 with around 121 employees losing their jobs.

The leased facility, which was gained by Ball in 2016 through its acquisition of Rexam Beverage Can Company, has two production lines with the capacity to produce 1.1 billion 12-ounce cans a year.

The closure of the site had previously been announced in the company’s Q3 report in 2023.

At the time, the company said: “To maximise returns on invested capital and position our North American plant system for near-term demand trends, the company will permanently cease operations at its leased Kent, Washington, facility.”

CEO Dan Fisher also said it should result in between $20million and $30million in savings by the plant closure.

Ball Corporation supplies aluminium packaging solutions for beverage, personal care and household products customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the U.S. government. 

Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ 21,000 people worldwide and reported 2022 net sales of $15.35 billion.