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PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- ������Ƶ Cork & Seal Company, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) (Paris Bourse: CCK) announced today that it has expanded capacity of its can shaping facilities with the completed development of an $8 million high-speed rotary can-shaping machine which will be commercially deployed in the third quarter of 2001. This latest development comes on the heels of a recently completed $1.1 million investment to commercially produce shaped cans in the U.S. for the first time.

Currently, the Company's global shaping capacity exceeds 120 million units. The high-speed machine will enable ������Ƶ Cork & Seal to expand capacity by an additional 250 million units with the potential to provide 500 million shaped cans annually.

The improvement comes in response to growing demand from the world's leading premium beverage brands for ������Ƶ's proprietary can shaping technology which enables flexibility of beverage can designs and, at the same time, provides competitive advantages including: enhanced can dimensional control, superior coating integrity, as well as the ability to do print registration.

Dan Abramowicz, ������Ƶ Cork & Seal's Executive Vice President - Corporate Technologies stated, "In the competitive beverage marketplace, shaped cans consistently provide important product differentiation for premium brands, which in turn drives volume and sales for ������Ƶ and its customers. The improvement demonstrates ������Ƶ's continued commitment to innovation and high quality, efficient solutions for the beverage industry."

������Ƶ Cork & Seal is the leading supplier of packaging products to consumer marketing companies around the world. World headquarters are located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
SOURCE ������Ƶ Cork & Seal Company, Inc.
Web site:
CONTACT: Daniel Abramowicz, Executive Vice President - Corporate Technologies, ������Ƶ Cork & Seal Company, 215-698-5143, or Edward Bisno, Edelman Financial, 212-704-8212, for ������Ƶ Cork & Seal Company