Ball Aerospace Names Robert D. Strain as Chief Operating Officer
PR Newswire
BROOMFIELD, Colo.

BROOMFIELD, Colo., Jan. 30, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. announced that Rob Strain will be joining the company as chief operating officer (COO) effective March 2012.  In light of the continued significant business growth and opportunity, this new position was created to place additional emphasis on the company's operational excellence and delivering on program commitments of the company.  Strain will report directly to Ball Aerospace President and CEO, David L. Taylor

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"Rob Strain is a proven leader in the aerospace and defense industry," said Taylor. "He has a unique blend of experience in the private, public and academic sectors of this market, including the majority of the company's core markets – civil and defense space hardware and information.  His outstanding record of managing programs and cultivating strong internal and external relationships allows Ball Aerospace to continue its tremendous growth trajectory and will infuse new energy in a dynamic environment." 

Strain will oversee the company's operations, managing all four of its strategic business units: Civil and Operational Space; Tactical Solutions; National Defense, and Systems Engineering Solutions.  He will also lead the support functions responsible for executing company programs, including engineering, program execution, mission assurance and information technology. 

Mr. Strain currently serves as Director of NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center. His professional experience also includes leadership roles at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Axiom Corporation, Orbital Sciences Corporation, and Fairchild Space and Defense. 

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions for 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 2011 sales of more than $8.6 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; uncertainties surrounding the U.S. government budget and debt limit; 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.