Palatinose - Soft Drinks International

16 INDUSTRY NEWS
Soft Drinks International – February 2011
Americas
red Cross
partnership
extended
THE Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) and the
International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have
announced a global partnership to expand
their collaboration. TCCC will invest US$2
million to support the IFRC's work in disaster
response and preparedness and initiatives
in communities that both organisations
serve. Separately, The Coca-Cola Foundation
will donate US$1 million to the IFRC's Disaster
Response Emergency Fund to provide
immediate financial support to help Red
Cross and Red Crescent National Societies
quickly respond to disasters around the
world.
“Our partnership with The Coca-Cola
Company has the potential to become one
of the world's leading business and civil-soci-
Ball restructures
THE largest producer of specialty beverage
cans in North America, Ball Corporation, has
announced plans to close its Torrance, California
beverage can plant by the end of the
third quarter of 2011, subject to customer
requirements. The 45 year-old plant employs
approximately 120 people and operates
three lines, two that produce 12oz cans and
one that produces 16oz cans. One of the
12oz production lines from Torrance will be
relocated to Ball's Whitby, Ontario, beverage
can plant and is scheduled to start up during
the second quarter of 2011.
The company expects to record a total
after-tax charge of approximately US$12.4
million in 2011, primarily for employee severance
and pensions and facility clean-up costs,
of which US$6.4 million is expected to be
recorded in the first quarter of 2011. The
Biodegradable
focus
THE Casey Container Corporation of Scottsdale,
Arizona, reports that it will focus on the
manufacturing of its preforms which are used
to produce biodegradable plastic bottles and
containers and thus terminate acquisition
negotiations with Mountain Green of Arizona.
Casey will deploy its resources exclusively to
meet immediate and escalating demand for
biodegradable preforms and bottling products
An Italian Red Cross truck driver and Coca-Cola
Hellenic Bottling Company (CCHBC) employee
shake hands after loading a truck with relief
supplies in response to the 2009 earthquake in
Abruzzo, Italy,
ety collaborations,” said Bekele Geleta, Secretary
General, IFRC. “It will enable us to
extend our reach even farther in communi-
closure is expected to be cash flow positive
to Ball upon final settlement of all closurerelated
costs.
Ball will also expand beverage can production
in its Fort Worth, Texas, plant. A
new line in Fort Worth will make 16oz and
24oz specialty cans and is expected to begin
production by the beginning of the third
quarter of 2011.
“These actions support our strategy of
growing Ball's beverage can business while
better aligning our manufacturing footprint
with changing market demand and increasing
operational efficiencies,”said Raymond J.
Seabrook, Executive Vice-President and
COO Global Packaging. “The strong demand
for specialty cans, especially for beer, teas,
energy drinks and other beverages, continues
to drive volume for Ball. The output of
the Whitby and Fort Worth lines is contracted
to customers under multi-year
agreements.”
produced using EcoPure, a revolutionary second-generation
proprietary and organic additive
licensed to Casey, which when combined
with resin used to produce plastic bottles and
containers renders the plastic biodegradable.
This decision comes as the company has
received purchase orders and numerous
enquiries for its biodegradable plastic solution
for bottled water and other consumer product
containers that use traditional plastic
materials. These orders include one international,
and two domestic companies, providing
for weekly delivery of approximately 750,000
biodegradable plastic preforms.
ties worldwide so we can be of greater
service to vulnerable people. In this era of
increasing natural disasters, imagine the magnitude
of what we can accomplish together
in disaster response and preparedness.”
Together with Coca-Cola bottling partners,
TCCC and the Red Cross/Red Crescent
already work together in over 50
countries. This new partnership, which
employs the capabilities and expertise of
local bottling partners, aims to increase collaboration
between the Red Cross/Red
Crescent and the Coca-Cola system in even
more areas around the world, and build on
the foundation both partners have developed
over nearly a century.
The potential humanitarian impact of this
partnership is viewed as significant. TCCC
and its bottler partners operate in more
than 200 countries with 700,000 employees;
and the IFRC represents 186 national societies
with over 100 million volunteers, members
and supporters.
“We are proud to partner with an organisation
that is as effective and globally
respected as the International Federation of
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,” said
Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO of TCCC.
“The marriage of our respective skills and
expertise will enable us to make a positive
difference when we are needed.”
More capital raised
PREMIUM soda producer known for its
unique branding and innovative marketing,
Jones Soda has closed the sale of 1,596,773
shares of its common stock to Glengrove
Small Cap Value Ltd for gross proceeds of
approximately US$2.3 million, or approximately
US$1.41 per share.
Jones Soda has now issued the maximum
aggregate number of shares available for sale
under the equity financing facility. The company
says it intends to use the net proceeds
from the planned sale for targeted funding
of new marketing programmes, to secure
and grow larger distributor and national
retail accounts, and for working capital and
other general corporate purposes.
“We are pleased to have completed the
use of our equity line facility,” stated Bill
Meissner, Jones Soda’s CEO. “This financing
tool will terminate with us having raised
total capital of nearly US$6.4 million. The
facility was an important financing option,
allowing us to raise the capital we need to
go forward through 2011 and support
strategic growth which we believe will result
in a significant benefit to our shareholders.”
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