BROOMFIELD, Colo. - Ball Corp. has acquired the U.S. and Argentinean operations of U.S. Can Corp., adding to Ball's portfolio of packaging products and making Ball the largest supplier in the United States of aerosol cans.

Ball acquired 10 manufacturing plants in seven states and two plants in Argentina. The operations have sales of approximately $600 million, employ 2,300 people and produce more than two billion steel aerosol containers annually. In addition to aerosol cans, the acquired operations produce paint cans, plastic containers, and custom and specialty cans.

Ball announced earlier that it had hired can-industry veteran Michael W. Feldser to head up the acquired U.S. Can operations. He will be president of Ball's Aerosol & Specialty Packaging Division.

Ball also announced that the former U.S. Can headquarters in a leased building in Lombard, Ill., would be closed. Functions that had been performed there will be transferred to Ball offices near Denver; moved to a plant in Elgin, Ill., that is part of the acquisition; or in certain cases eliminated.

In a separate announcement, Ball reports completion of the acquisition of certain North American plastic-container assets of Alcan Packaging. The acquired business becomes part of Ball's Plastic Packaging Division, which previously consisted of five plants producing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, primarily for beverages.

Ball Corp. is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic packaging products, and owns Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Ball reported 2005 sales of $5.8 billion. With the addition of the employees from U.S. Can, Ball employs 15,400 people worldwide.