Nov. 4--Ball Corp. will close its beverage-can plant in Kansas City next year, eliminating jobs for about 175 people.

The shutdown, which will occur by the end of March, is part of the company's consolidation of its metal beverage packaging division. The division will close a similar plant at the end of the year in Guayama, Puerto Rico.

"The closure of these facilities will further reduce 12-ounce can capacity in our metal beverage packaging system, more efficiently allocate production and consolidate specialty can production into facilities better located to serve our customer base," John A. Hayes, Ball's executive vice president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.

The Kansas City plant, 1800 Reynolds Ave., has four production lines capable of making 1.1 billion cans in a variety of sizes.

About 140 production employees are represented by the United Steelworkers union, which will negotiate a severance package for the displaced work force. According to Emil Ramirez, the union's assistant to the director in District 11, company officials said a weakening economy had affected the amount of production capacity needed.

"We always felt the people in Kansas City were flexible in the types of products they make, and the company has acknowledged that," Ramirez said Monday. "It's always been a profitable plant."

Ball's Kansas City plant was one of three factories where the company and the union reached a master contract last year. Ramirez said a second plant in Kent. Wash., closed earlier this year. A third plant covered by the agreement remains open in Bristol, Va.

Ramirez said he did not think the company was specifically targeting union plants for closure. Several other union-represented Ball facilities continue to operate, including ones represented by the Teamsters, Ramirez said.

"I think it's more the direction of the economy, which is tied to some of their customers not needing as much of their product," he said. "Hopefully, the plant-closure clause we negotiated in the contract will help in terms of the pension and supplemental benefits."

Ramirez said he expected negotiations will lead to the Missouri Rapid Response team offering information on jobs and training for the displaced employees before the plant closes.

Ball purchased the Kansas City and Puerto Rico plants in 1998 from the Reynolds Metals Co. The Kansas City facility has operated since 1981 and has 496,000 square feet.

Ball's plans to dispose of the property will be addressed later, said Scott McCarty, a spokesman at Ball's Broomfield, Colo., headquarters.

"Our focus now is supplying the needs of our customers and working with our employees to transition to the closure," he said.

To reach Randolph Heaster, call 816-234-4746 or send e-mail to rheaster@kcstar.com.

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