The company's 22 subsidiaries, including United Glass in the UK, ACI Packaging Services in Asia Pacific and the recently acquired BSN Glasspack in Europe, will now all be branded O-I.
"O-I's technologies and capabilities are known by our industry and customers worldwide," says Steve McCracken, chairman and ceo. "This symbolic change will be linked to real actions our markets have been asking for: increased focus on innovation; greater availability of global product lines, investment in our developing markets and a heightened focus on core market segments."
O-I has recently moved from its historical holding company structure to a "more global approach" to "leverage its footprint and resource capabilities". It says these changes have been "reinforced by a key portfolio shift" resulting from the acquisition of BSN Glasspack and the sale of that company's blow-moulded plastic container business to Graham Packaging.
O-I's offering is now 88% glass packaging, with over 60% of its revenue base coming from outside the US. The company has established a European headquarters in Lausanne and will shortly open what it says will be the world's most modern glass bottling plant, in Windsor, Colorado, with an annual capacity of almost one billion bottles.
