The Irish company Ardagh Metal Packaging is expanding production of beverage cans in Provence

Previously imported from Germany, 15cl, 20cl, and 25cl slim cans will now be manufactured in La Ciotat

Did you know there is a little bit of La Ciotat in cans of Coca-Cola, Orangina, Perrier, and Sanpellegrino? Since 1991, the Ardagh Metal Packaging company has been operating from a production facility in the Athélia IV industrial park in La Ciotat, a coastal town about 30 kilometres east of Marseille. The plant currently produces five million cans a day, but the company is now investing nearly €80 million to add a third production line that will launch in the first half of 2023. Financial support programmes identified by Provence Promotion were a decisive factor in the company’s decision to expand its facilities in La Ciotat.

La Ciotat has a lot to celebrate! The Irish beverage can supplier Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP) is strengthening its presence in La Ciotat with a massive infrastructure investment of close to €80 million. This will allow the company to open a third production line in the first half of 2023 that will significantly increase daily output to five, six, or even seven million recycled aluminium cans once the facility is operating at peak efficiency. In addition to the classic 33cl cans and the taller Sleek cans, a range of slim 15cl, 20cl, and 25cl cans will also be produced.

Producing in Provence instead of importing

Slim cans for the French market have been traditionally imported from Germany. With the market growing at a rate of 3% per year, these cans will now be produced locally to supply major international clients such as Nestlé Waters, Coca-Cola, Heineken, Mahou San Miguel, and the Suntory Group (Orangina and Schweppes). Along with serving the French market, the plant in La Ciotat will also supply cans for Italy, Spain, Africa, and the Middle East.

“Ardagh, which has 65 sites worldwide, chose La Ciotat over several other European locations because of its proximity to the markets, its onsite expertise, and the €3.8 million in financial support it received. Provence Promotion supported the project through its connections with the subprefecture’s economic recovery programme and by helping obtain subsidies through the DREETS regional economic development and employment office’s business resiliency system. Provence Promotion also helped us identify support mechanisms available through Bpifrance and Région Sud Attractivité,” says Olivier Barra, director of the Ardagh Metal Packaging plant in La Ciotat. Faced with European competition for the infrastructure investment from locations such as Poland, Italy, and Spain, the Ardagh Metal Packaging team in La Ciotat was able to successfully demonstrate its technical and industrial know-how.

80 jobs to be created in La Ciotat in the first half of 2023

The investment in production equipment has led to an increase in the number of jobs at the La Ciotat facility, which now employs 200 people so it can operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "We have hired 80 local mechanical operators, electricians, and chemists. These employees are currently undergoing several months of training so they can be operational when the new production line is launched. Our zone is still attracting a lot of people!", says Olivier Barra.

Bringing the production of cans closer to consumers helps reduce the carbon footprint of the beverage industry. As a result, this investment is a good reflection of Ardagh Metal Packaging’s strong commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility policies and energy efficiency. "We are also investing to modernise our equipment. Replacing part of our furnaces will reduce our gas consumption by 50%," explains Olivier Barra. In addition, the aluminium scraps from the can production lines are collected and sent for recycling and, in recent years, the unit weight of each can has become significantly lighter.

The Ardagh Metal Packaging production facility in La Ciotat features 35 000 square metres of buildings and warehouses on an eight-hectare site and since 2016 it has been owned by the Irish company Ardagh Group. A global leader in the production of aluminium cans and glass bottles, the Ardagh Group has 20 000 employees worldwide and annual sales of €10 billion.