Packaging manufacturer Ardagh Group has opened a new $93.5m production plant in Roanoke County, in the US state of Virginia.
The move comes after a supply agreement was signed between Ardagh and packaged food company ConAgra Foods.
The new plant features six high-speed production lines to manufacture lightweight metal cans and traditional three-piece food cans.
Said to be the largest single manufacturing investment in Roanoke County so far, the plant is expected to create 100 new jobs in the region.
Ardagh claims that the thin-walled metal can is being produced for the first time in North America.
Ardagh Group Metal Americas CEO James Willich said: "We are very pleased to be locating in Roanoke and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial association with Southwest Virginia.
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By GlobalData"We chose this area against several other options for many positive reasons, including a well-developed infrastructure, proximity to our major customer, the availability of skilled labour and a favourable business tax structure."
Earlier in July, Ardagh Group divested six former Anchor Glass plants to Glass Container Acquisition, an affiliate of KPS Capital Partners.
Ardagh acquired Anchor Glass Container in the US in a deal worth $880m in August 2012.
Founded in 1995, Ardagh has locations in the Americas, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, the Russian Federation, Seychelles, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, Ukraine, and the UK.
Image: Ardagh’s new plant will manufacture lightweight metal cans. Photo: courtesy of tigger11th / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.