BOULDER, Colo., June 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. today opened its expanded Aerospace Manufacturing Center (AMC) in Westminster, CO. Community leaders, elected officials, customers and media representatives were on hand for a ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the $14.6 million expansion project.
"The facility expansion is expected to improve the productivity of our manufacturing operations by 20 percent or more," said David L. Taylor, Ball Aerospace president and CEO. "Our manufacturing and technical capabilities and state-of-the-art facilities position Ball Aerospace extremely well for future large antenna systems and video technology business critical to the next generation of products required by our customers."
The original 160,000-square-foot two-story building that houses Ball's antenna and video technologies development, product and test facilities, including two anechoic test ranges, has been enlarged by nearly 28,000 square feet. The expansion creates increased manufacturing space for Ball's tactical video technologies, phased array and conformal aperture antennas, including large programs such as the Zumwalt Class Destroyer, Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, and Geodesic Dome Phased Array Antenna.
The AMC was also expanded for high volume antenna manufacturing of the F-35 Lightning II military aircraft. Through the year 2036, Ball will build 48,000 F-35 antennas under contract to Lockheed Martin. Ball Aerospace currently has 30 full time employees working the program and expects that number to increase to nearly 200 employees at full production. The contract value of the F-35 to Ball Aerospace is estimated at $677.2 million.
As part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Lockheed Martin showcased its F-35 Lightning II mobile cockpit demonstrator to employees, state and local elected officials and the media. With 15 supplier locations in Colorado, the F-35 program currently provides over 460 direct and indirect jobs and nearly $33 million in economic impact across the state.
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions of important national agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft, advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation systems and RF solutions for strategic, tactical and scientific applications. For more information visit www.ballaerospace.com.
Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) is a supplier of high quality 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 2010 sales of more than $7.6 billion. For the latest Ball news and for other company information, please visit http://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 on our website 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; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; political instability and sanctions; and changes in foreign exchange rates or tax rates. 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 recent global recession and its effects on liquidity, credit risk, asset values and the economy; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including U.S. FDA and other actions affecting products filled in our containers, or 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 Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
