Crown Expands Beverage Can Production Line in Slovakia

Crown Bevcan Europe & Middle East, a business unit of United States-based Crown Holdings Inc., has announced plans to install a second aluminum can production line at its facility in Kechnec, Slovakia. The Slovakian plant began full production in April of 2010.

The new line is expected to be operational by early 2011. It is scheduled for an initial production capacity of about 850 million two-piece aluminum beverage cans annually. The expansion will more than double the plant’s capacity.

“We are extremely pleased with strong customer demand throughout the central and eastern European region,” says Chris Homfray, president of Crown Europe, in a release announcing the expansion plan. “The plant is well located to supply customers in Slovakia and neighboring Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Ukraine. We expect the additional line to increase both productivity and operating efficiencies at the plant, which was anticipated when the facility was first planned,” he adds.

Crown Holdings, headquartered in Philadelphia, operates manufacturing facilities throughout the world.