American Canning will be expanding operations with the addition of an aluminum can manufacturing plant and second shrink-sleeve line.
The new 155,000 square foot facility will dedicate 3,500 square feet to a second shrink-sleeve line focused on specialty can sizes that will increase production to more than 1.5 million cans per week. The sleeved line will be running by spring while the can plant itself is expected to be operational this August. Initially, 12oz aluminum cans will be manufactured, with plans to add 16oz cans quickly thereafter, moving towards 300 million cans per year.
David Racino, co-founder and CEO of American Canning, says, “Large can makers do what they do very well—scale and efficiency. That requires their customers to have long-term forecasts, substantial production runs, and sophisticated supply chain operations. That is simply not something all small and upstart beverage companies have. We want to build a more modern ecosystem that allows those brands and organizations to thrive.”
Any hint of an increase in the supply of cans for the craft brewing industry is a welcome relief, especially given the recent announcement by Ball that they will be bumping up minimum orders that will force many craft brewers to order through a broker network and therefore increase prices.