Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP) announced the acquisition of a majority share in innovative digital can printers NOMOQ, in a move that extends AMP’s industry-leading support of newcomers to the beverage market.
The Switzerland-based start-up, founded in 2021, promises beautifully printed cans with short lead times and “NO Minimum Order Quantity” – hence the name. Their extreme versatility and customer-centric proposition allows beverage companies of every size to flex their creativity and produce stunning packs with almost limitless colour options and photorealistic graphics.
NOMOQ is the latest super-agile innovator to be welcomed under the AMP umbrella. AMP’s acquisition in 2021 of Quebec-based Hart Print saw AMP enhance its digital print offering to emerging customers in the North American market, and with AMP’s investment in a majority stake in NOMOQ, it provides the platform to roll out access to the same cutting-edge print technology to all of its European customers. As well as supporting fast-growing market entrants, NOMOQ’s superb flexibility also enables larger producers to trial new products, implement short-term event-based marketing campaigns, or run special editions with no obstacles on batch size.
Cans have outstanding consumer appeal, being convenient, lightweight, shatterproof, and infinitely recyclable. With a higher proportion of new European beverages now launched in cans, drinks producers are increasingly recognising their exceptional potential for brand-building thanks to the sheer range of customisation options. NOMOQ’s passion is making cans into stand-out “works of art”, through a graphical capacity that encompasses millions of colours and shades, and several eye-catching finishes: matte, glossy or selective gloss.
Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP) announced that it plans to build a new state-of-the-art USD200 million beverage can plant in Northern Ireland. The plant will be located near Belfast and will service the growing needs of AMP’s beverage customers in Ireland, the UK and Europe.
This initiative is part of a multi-billion dollar investment programme by AMP involving the construction of new, infinitely recyclable, metal packaging capacity in Europe, North America and Brazil. Metal cans are the most recycled drinks package in the world, contributing to a circular economy and the sustainability requirements of AMP customers and consumers.
AMP plans to build the new plant at Global Point near Belfast, close to key local customers, at a cost of some USD200 million. Though details on precise jobs numbers are still being finalised, the investment by AMP will lead to the creation of a large number of full-time jobs for engineers, technicians and other roles.
AMP is currently at the pre-planning application stage and is actively engaged with local stakeholders on the project. Further details of the plant will be announced over the coming months.
AMP, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, is 75 % owned by Ardagh Group the international packaging group which traces its origins back to glass manufacturing in Dublin in the 1930’s.
Ardagh Group S.A. , a global supplier of infinitely-recyclable metal beverage and glass packaging for the world’s leading brands, and Gores Holdings V, Inc., a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of The Gores Group, announced that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement under which Gores Holdings V will combine with Ardagh’s metal packaging business that will be held by Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. (“AMP”) to create an independent public company. The Company intends to apply to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the new ticker symbol “AMBP”.
Ardagh will retain an approximately 80 % stake in AMP and receive up to $3.4 billion in cash in the transactions. Oliver Graham, CEO of Ardagh Metal Beverage, will be CEO of AMP. Paul Coulson, Chairman and CEO of Ardagh, will serve as Chairman and Shaun Murphy, COO of Ardagh, will serve as Vice Chairman of the Company following the closing of the transaction.
AMP is a global leader in the supply of sustainable and infinitely-recyclable beverage cans. The Company has a leading presence in the Americas and Europe and is the second-largest beverage can producer in Europe and the third-largest in North America and Brazil. As the only pure-play beverage can company, AMP products touch billions of consumers worldwide. The Company believes that strong demand in traditional and new beverage categories coupled with environmentally-conscious end consumers are driving an inflection point in beverage can demand and the Company is well positioned to capitalize on these multifaceted growth opportunities. The Company has a compelling financial profile, with a clear and tangible growth trajectory backed by long-term customer contracts and expects to double Adjusted EBITDA from $545 million in 2020 to over $1.1 billion in 2024.
About Ardagh Group S.A.
Ardagh is a global supplier of infinitely-recyclable metal and glass packaging for the world’s leading brands. Ardagh operates 56 metal and glass production facilities in 12 countries, employing more than 16,000 people with sales of approximately $7 billion.
About Ardagh Metal Packaging
AMP will hold Ardagh’s metal packaging business, which is a leading supplier of beverage cans globally, with a particular focus on The Americas and Europe. Headquartered, in Luxembourg, the business supplies sustainable and infinitely-recyclable metal packaging to a diversified customer base of leading global, regional and national beverage producers. Ardagh’s metal packaging business operates 23 production facilities in Europe and the Americas, employs approximately 4,900 people and recorded revenues of $3.5 billion in 2020.
About Gores Holdings V, Inc.
Gores Holdings V is a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of The Gores Group for the purpose of effecting a merger, acquisition, or similar business combination. Gores Holdings V completed its initial public offering in August 2020, raising approximately $525 million in cash proceeds. Gores’ strategy is to identify and complete business combinations with market leading companies with strong equity stories that will benefit from the growth capital of the public equity markets and be enhanced by the experience and expertise of Gores’ long history and track record of investing in and operating businesses for over 35 years. To date, Alec Gores and affiliates of The Gores Group have announced and completed six business combinations representing over $27 billion in transaction value. Prior business combinations for special purpose acquisition companies sponsored by affiliates of The Gores Group include: Hostess (Gores Holdings, Inc.), Verra Mobility (Gores Holdings II, Inc.), PAE (Gores Holdings III, Inc.), Luminar (Gores Metropoulos, Inc.), United Wholesale Mortgage (Gores Holdings IV, Inc.), and the pending Matterport transaction (Gores Holdings VI, Inc.).
About The Gores Group LLC
Founded in 1987 by Alec Gores, The Gores Group is a global investment firm focused on partnering with differentiated businesses that can benefit from the firm’s extensive industry knowledge and decades long experience. Gores Holdings V and The Gores Group are separate entities with separate management, although there is overlap in size and industry of target acquisition and personnel involved.
The Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) will make grants available in 2021 to Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) for aluminum can capture equipment, which will ensure used beverage cans (UBC) are accurately sorted, sold and recycled. Capturing and recycling aluminum cans provides a positive environmental and economic impact as metal recycles forever and UBCs are typically made into new cans.
Aluminum beverage cans currently provide critical revenue to MRFs. A CMI-funded study concluded that without the revenue from UBCs, most MRFs, which are vital to the U.S. recycling system since they sort single stream recyclables, would not be able to operate. But, while UBCs are typically the most valuable commodity in the residential recycling stream, up to 25 percent of UBCs are missorted at a typical MRF. These missorted cans can be captured with the right equipment, which would pay for itself with the additional revenue.
Directly funded by aluminum beverage can manufacturers Ardagh Group and Crown Holdings, the grant program will provide clear examples of the efficacy and revenue impact that additional aluminum can capture equipment can have for a MRF. The results are expected to encourage more MRFs to invest in additional aluminum can capture equipment. Further, Ardagh Group and Crown Holdings are exploring additional recycling programs that they, along with other partners, can implement to leverage additional aluminum can capture equipment in MRFs.
“With this new grant program, the aluminum beverage can industry is demonstrating its commitment to building on the industry’s leading beverage packaging recycling rates,” said CMI Vice President of Sustainability Scott Breen. “Capturing these missorted cans will result in significant additional revenue for recyclers and deliver significant carbon emissions reductions from greater use of recycled aluminum.”
An Austrian winery with 160 years of tradition has launched a spritzer in a can. ‘Kiss Me’ white wine spritzer, from Weingut Johann Müllner, comes in an on-trend slimline can with a stunning contemporary design. However, in the perfect marriage of modern and traditional, the Sauvignon at the heart of the drink comes from a Krems estate which has produced fine wines since the 19th century.
Spritzer is second only to beer on the chart of Austria’s favourite beverages, but until now it has not been available in such a portable, convenient and sustainable format. Weingut Johann Müllner has chosen Ardagh Group’s 250ml aluminium wine can to extend its packaging formats beyond the bottle and thereby bring the spritzer to new markets. In a can, Kiss Me will particularly appeal to discerning consumers who appreciate the importance of tradition and quality in their wine, but are looking for a light, convenient single-serve beverage they can drink on the go.
The can’s head-turning design is based on a multicoloured illustration by pop artist Oxana Prantl, sophisticated modern branding which reflects the premium product. Two of Ardagh’s range of finishes, Matte Impact and Premium Print 1.0, raise the aesthetic to the next level. The matte finish offers both visual and haptic enhancement, making Kiss Me stand out against the standard glossy can on the shelf, while Premium Print 1.0 brings crisp detailing and colour contrast to the artwork. The overall look is sharp, modern and unique, perfect for Kiss Me’s status as the only canned spritzer in Europe.
The Grüner Veltliner at the heart of Kiss Me is a delicate Sauvignon, the product of the cool microclimate of the Kremser Berglagen. Dry, fruity and light with the classic, delicate Veltliner spiciness, it has notes of green apple and citrus with a background of minerality that is pleasantly fresh. Carbonated water is added to this premium wine to bring an exciting sparkle and reduce the alcohol content to a light and refreshing 5.5% ABV. In a spritzer, the carbon dioxide carries the taste, which makes it essential that the packaging is completely airtight. The aluminium can guarantees this and is also lightproof, further preserving the exceptional taste and providing a minimum shelf life of one year.
Johann Müllner represents the fourth generation of Müllners to run the company. He says, ‘Since our estate is steeped in tradition, we are extremely proud to offer the famous Austrian national drink in a can. Recognition of our premium spritzer is essential, so we’re really happy that the superior design and finish of the wine can upholds our brand, as well as helping us achieve sustainability by being fully recyclable.’
Ardagh’s wine can range comprises single-serve sizes of 200ml, 250ml, and a new 187ml format which represents a quarter of the standard 75cl bottle. Beverage cans are light to transport and easy to fill, stack and store, as well as being infinitely recyclable.
Kiss Me is currently available in Krems, in Vienna, and in a rapidly expanding range of outlets throughout Austria, including petrol stations, souvenir shops and transport hubs, as well as from trade beverage suppliers. Tie-ins with major Austrian sporting events and ski resorts are planned, and export to international markets will follow.
Ardagh Group’s Nitro Can has been adopted by the UK’s number one cocktail mixer company Funkin Cocktails in a collaboration that sees the first-ever range of ready-to-drink nitro canned cocktails hit the shelves. With premium cocktails increasing in popularity, but traditionally demanding time and skill to serve to customers, Funkin have opted for Ardagh’s Nitro Can to deliver their ground-breaking range of canned cocktails. The slim aluminium can features a fixed nitrogen-infused widget that mixes the cocktail instantly, ensuring maximum product quality and consistency and producing an unrivalled multisensory experience for the consumer.
The Nitro Can technology was devised by Ardagh in 2016 to capitalise on the trend for nitro coffee, and with Funkin’s new range it now enters the fast-growing RTD alcoholic beverage market. Nitro Can’s innovative design makes the indulgent pleasure of a hand-mixed cocktail readily accessible in a convenient format. Upon opening the tab, the widget is activated, triggering an attention-grabbing ‘whoosh’ sound as micro-bubbles of nitrogen are released through the product. All the scents, flavours and colours of a bar-made cocktail are retained during the cascading pour, resulting in the instant delivery of an attractive beverage with a long-lasting foam head and the smooth, velvety sensation that is normally only achieved in a traditional cocktail shaker.
Not only does the Nitro Can offer an engaging consumer experience, its stable in-can environment is the perfect packaging solution to protect Funkin Cocktails’ quality ingredients. The 200 ml range contains real fruit, which makes retaining the integrity of product flavour and safety essential, and the can guarantees shelf stability both in refrigerated and ambient temperatures.
Consumers can enjoy Funkin’s four great flavours – Espresso Martini, Passion fruit Martini, Amaretto Sour and the on-trend Pink Gin Fizz – at home, out-and-about or in busy commercial environments previously unable to meet demand for quality mixology, such as restaurants and festival bars. The eye-catching cans feature Funkin’s brand new livery, a silver theme with bold graphics depicting the flavour varietals.
Funkin’s range is now available in the UK market.
Ardagh Group announced the opening of its new can ends facility in Manaus, Brazil. The new facility houses state-of-the-art production and inspection equipment with capacity to produce 12 million ends per day.
“This significant investment in Manaus strengthens Ardagh Group’s position in the Brazilian market place, and complements our beverage can production facilities in Jacarei and Alagoinhas” said Augusto Seoane, Operations Director Ardagh Metal Beverage Brazil. “The new facility allows us to support both existing and new customer requirements.”
Employing a team of more than 80 people, the new facility consolidates the company’s position as a leading producer of beverage cans and ends in Brazil, serving a growing customer base. Universally recognised for its protective qualities, versatility and environmental credentials, metal is a permanent material meaning it can be infinitely recycled without loss of quality.
