Quarterlytics / Consumer Cyclical / Packaging & Containers / Ball

Ball

bll · NYSE Consumer Cyclical
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Ticker bll
Exchange NYSE
Sector Consumer Cyclical
Industry Packaging & Containers
Employees 10,000+
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FY2020 Annual Report · Ball
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A N N U A L   R E P O R T

Ball Corporation is one of the world’s leading suppliers of aluminum packaging for 

the beverage, personal care and household products industries. Our sustainable, 

aluminum packaging products are produced for a variety of end uses and are 

manufactured in facilities around the world. We also provide aerospace and other 

technologies and services to the U.S. government through our aerospace segment. 

Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ 21,500 people worldwide and reported 

2020 net sales of $11.8 billion. We are headquartered in Westminster, Colorado,  

and our stock is listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the  

ticker symbol BLL.

Please visit Ball’s Investor Center at www.ball.com/investors to view the 2020 online annual 

report. Where you see this information icon in our report, you can find additional information 

on that topic at www.ball.com. 

  
01

DEAR FELLOW 
SHAREHOLDERS

At Ball, we began 2020 with great aspirations and a clear understanding of our 

company’s plan to navigate the year ahead. As we entered this past year, what  

we initially perceived to be an unmistakable path forward soon shifted with the 

onset of the global pandemic. Yet, in the face of many unknowns, 2020 remained 

a year of certainty and growth for Ball — certainty that our once in a lifetime 

opportunity had indeed arrived, and together we could overcome obstacles and 

turn opportunities into reality. Through our “can-do spirit” and the unprecedented 

global growth for our aluminum packaging and aerospace technologies, we 

increased comparable diluted earnings per share by 17 percent, and our strong 

balance sheet and cash flow from operations underpinned $1.1 billion of disciplined 

capital investments aligned to address our global growth — collectively positioning 

us to deliver value for our shareholders and all of our stakeholders. All this was 

made possible by an unwavering ownership mindset — an understanding of  

“who we are” — demonstrated by each and every one of our 21,500 employees.

Our unremitting ability to deliver impressive results, even during the most trying 

and uncertain times, is no accident, but rather a testament to our unique culture 

and Drive for 10 vision. We started the year by focusing on our customers and our 

commitment to operational excellence, while working to increase our leadership  

and consumers’ awareness around infinitely recyclable aluminum and its role in 

creating a circular economy. We also continued to innovate and introduce new 

solutions to address our customers’ greatest challenges and opportunities. All 

these efforts were, and continue to be, critical components of Drive for 10. With a 

strong sense of purpose, and momentum behind our vision, our people maintained 

this focus, adapting to every challenge with the same level of resilience we have 

witnessed throughout our 140-year journey. And, over the course of the year, we 

worked tirelessly in pursuit of our goals — oftentimes performing beyond our  

initial expectations. 

Today, with great conviction, we realize that our time is now. Never before have  

we had greater clarity of what we believe in and of how we will achieve our 

goals. We know we have the right capabilities, people and products to grasp 

the opportunities in front of us, and we are ready to enhance our benchmark for 

excellence and lead the way.

JOHN A. HAYES 
Chairman and  
Chief Executive Officer

2020 ANNUAL REPORT02

2020

$271

EVA DOLLARS

2019

$217

EVA DOLLARS

2018

$242

EVA DOLLARS

*  Net operating earnings after tax less a capital charge of 9% after-tax on average invested 
capital employed ($ in millions).

INDEED, OUR TIME IS NOW

brands’ access to our sustainable 

Just a decade ago, we embarked upon 

portfolio. During 2020, as part of 

our Drive for 10 vision, which is a mindset 

our commitment to stay close to our 

of who we are, where we are going  

customers and remain their strategic 

and what is important. As part of this, 

partner of choice, we made several 

we set our sights on broadening the 

capital investments designed to start  

geographic footprint and innovative 

up new and speed up legacy production 

portfolio of sustainable solutions in  

lines in the United States, South 

our aluminum beverage packaging 

America and Europe. Growth remained 

business, which then produced only  

a consistent theme throughout the 

15 can varieties at 39 global locations. 

year. Beverage packaging shipped 

Today, with over 40 different can and 

volumes were up 5 percent, specialty mix 

bottle sizes in our portfolio, we realize  

increased to 46 percent, earnings before 

the opportunity we have is far greater 

interest and taxes were up 8 percent and 

than we could have initially imagined 

we increased EVA segment dollars by  

in terms of providing our customers 

25 percent — despite unit volume 

with the most sustainable beverage 

declines in South America and Europe 

packaging. The momentum behind our 

during the second quarter of 2020  

global beverage packaging business 

due to the emergence of the  

continues to accelerate as beverage 

COVID-19 pandemic. Today, across  

substrate preferences shift to the most 

our regional businesses, demand 

sustainable alternative — aluminum 

continues to exceed supply and our 

beverage packaging. Already, we 

growth capital investments, which are 

are on track to expand beverage can 

supported by longer duration contracts, 

capacity to fulfill long-term contracted 

will provide much needed capacity for 

volume growth, enhance the customer 

our customers to further grow their  

experience and increase emerging 

brand and product categories. 

2020 ANNUAL REPORTBEVERAGE CAN SHIPMENTS (bu)*

2020

2019

2018

*  In billions of units shipped, excluding China.

105.4

100.1

95.4

AEROSPACE BACKLOG ($ in billions)

2020

2019

2018

$2.4

$2.5

$2.2

$5.5

$4.2

$4.7

Contracted Backlog

Won Not Booked Backlog

05

EMPLOYEE GROWTH

2020

2019

2018

21,500

18,300

17,500

Throughout the last year, we acted 

and in doing so, remain very optimistic 

on several opportunities to leverage 

about the long-term prospects for 

our manufacturing expertise and the 

this business. Not surprisingly, the 

sustainability credentials of our products 

unprecedented growth we experienced 

to deliver real value for customers 

across our organization in 2020 led to the 

and support them with their own 

hiring of thousands of new employees, all 

sustainability initiatives. Our aluminum 

of whom join us in the realization that our 

aerosol business pivoted into exciting 

opportunity of a lifetime is occurring at 

new categories, expanded its ability to 

this very moment. 

serve our customers on four continents 

through the acquisition of Tubex in Brazil, 

and is now equipped to offer refillable 

and re-closeable solutions — further 

positioning aluminum as the sustainable 

packaging solution for personal care 

products. In our aluminum cups business, 

following our initial start-up investment 

and our construction of a dedicated 

cups manufacturing plant, we continued 

to prepare for an expansion into retail 

channels and large entertainment 

venues. In aerospace, full-year earnings 

increased by 9 percent — demonstrating 

the resilience and adaptability of the 

business given supply chain inefficiencies 

and costs brought on by the pandemic. 

Further, we expanded our role as a 

mission partner to our customers, with 

contracted backlog of $2.4 billion, and 

increased our year-over-year unfunded 

contracts won, but not yet booked into 

backlog, by 31 percent to $5.5 billion,  

DELIVERING CERTAINTY THROUGH  

WHO WE ARE

Our Drive for 10 vision — the bedrock  

of everything we do and everything  

we stand for — remained both our  

anchor point and our guiding light  

during the past year. In the face of a 

global pandemic and far-reaching  

social and political upheaval, we 

maintained our focus on what matters 

most. We prioritized our people, our 

communities, and the planet — all 

of which sustain us. By seeing great 

opportunity amidst many unknowns, we 

answered the call — standing by these 

truths — to do well and to do good. 

For us, sustainability is not a “nice to 

do,” rather it is our business strategy: 

by leveraging environmental, social 

and economic sustainability, we can 

change, adapt and create lasting value 

for all of our stakeholders. It is a strong 

2020 ANNUAL REPORT06

07

At our core, we’re 

While we’ve earned our 

Whether we’re developing 

For some, it’s a buzzword, 

passionate, committed 

share of accolades, we’re 

packaging that’s infinitely 

but for us, it’s an ideal we’ve 

people who believe 

more focused on results, not 

recyclable or aerospace 

had for more than a century: 

together we can achieve 

recognition, solutions, not 

solutions that give us all a 

be responsible for what you 

extraordinary things. That’s 

spotlights. It’s what makes 

deeper understanding of 

make, how you make it, and 

who we’ve been since we 

us everyday champions, 

the universe, our focus is 

how you treat the people you 

started and who we continue 

standing up for what 

on sustainability. Not just 

work and live with.

to be, 140 years later.

we believe in and acting 

environmental sustainability, 

accordingly. Even when 

but social and economic 

nobody is looking. 

sustainability too.

What we make
Who we are ne

may change.
ver will.

We believe the bottom 

The power of “we, not me” 

From our meeting rooms to 

line and the greater good 

drives us to solve even the 

our manufacturing plants,  

both benefit when you stay 

hardest problems: helping 

you can feel it: the certainty 

focused on the long view. 

people live more sustainably, 

that what we stand for and 

Every one of our diverse 

advancing our understanding 

who we are is at the core of 

community of employees 

of how the world works, and 

our success, no matter what 

around the globe acts like  

improving the health of the 

rolls off our production lines 

an owner, and it shows.

planet — together.

or gets launched into the 

night sky. 

WE,   
NOT ME.

09

growth engine that positions us to deliver 

working with our customers to address 

real value for our customers who need 

the topics of climate change, global air 

to meet the evolving expectations of 

quality, weather and environment, and 

consumers. And, we know aluminum 

biodiversity, as well as crucial resources 

is an infinitely recyclable material that 

and water scarcity. 

can deliver superior performance while 

addressing the many sustainability issues 

our customers care about most. In 2020, 

we took deliberate action to enhance 

the sustainability profile of our products 

and operations, including the approval 

of ambitious science-based greenhouse 

gas emission reduction targets and the 

implementation of renewable energy 

deals in North America and Europe.  

As an industry first, we achieved 

Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI) 

Certification in all 23 of our beverage  

can plants in Europe, the Middle East  

and Africa; and we are committed to 

realizing the same goal in all other 

regions where we operate. 

At Ball, we have maintained a constant 

focus on what is important, consistently 

stepping forward to support our 

communities. Few points in our  

140-year history are characterized  

by as much need as we witnessed in 

2020. The impacts of COVID-19 were, 

and continue to be, felt far and wide. In 

true Ball style, and with a pressing sense 

of urgency, we acted by establishing our 

global COVID-19 Relief Fund — pledging 

$5 million to help the global communities 

where we live and work. To maximize  

our impact, we gave directly to over  

365 organizations that addressed 

matters of food insecurity, small  

business support, health care and  

To further drive sustainability  

at-risk communities. As a community 

throughout our value chain, we 

partner, we stepped up to create  

established ASI Certification as an 

positive change in areas of real need. 

expectation for all suppliers with whom 

we conduct business. To track our 

own progress toward circularity and 

advance circular thinking in the beverage 

packaging industry, we introduced a new 

peer-reviewed life cycle assessment of 

the most common beverage packaging 

materials. And finally, with sustainability 

as a key factor in how and why we 

innovate — yet another component 

of Drive for 10 — we partnered with 

Kroenke Sports and Entertainment™ to 

elevate our sustainability commitments 

in a visible way, while also bringing our 

game-changing aluminum cup directly 

to consumers, making recycling and 

sustainability part of the fan experience. 

In our aerospace business, as we focus 

on sustainability through science, we are 

It is no secret that our ability to generate 

economic value and create a positive 

impact through our environmental and 

social initiatives depends on our people. 

We also understand that our ability to 

innovate with the future in mind and 

devise solutions to real-world challenges 

means we must attract, develop and 

retain diverse talent. Doing so requires, 

first and foremost, a culture where all 

are welcomed and all have the ability 

to contribute to our collective success. 

For this reason, diversity and inclusion 

remains a priority at Ball. In 2020, we 

took steps to elevate our commitment 

in this area, building upon a foundation 

we first established in 2015. Now, we are 

focusing on accountability by recruiting, 

2020 ANNUAL REPORT10

TOTAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURES

2020

2019

2018

$1.113 billion

$598 million

$816 million

developing and retaining diverse talent; 

for our communities and planet. Doing 

we are actively engaging leaders 

so will allow us to exceed our long-term 

in diversity- and inclusion-focused 

diluted earnings per share growth goal 

conversations; and we are participating 

of at least 10 to 15 percent and increase 

in exercises that will allow us to capture 

EVA dollars generated on a growing 

the voices of our people and learn more 

invested capital base, all while returning 

about what matters most to them. So, 

significant value to shareholders.

while we are proud of what we have 

achieved, we are equally humbled 

by what must still be accomplished. 

Remaining grounded in Drive for 10, we 

know that our people and culture focus 

will be the catalyst for achieving our 

long-term vision for a global workforce 

that reflects the communities in which  

we live and operate.

Knowing that our ownership mindset 

positions us to effectively seize this 

opportune moment and understanding 

that we are experiencing growth in ways 

like never before, we see great promise 

and great potential for Ball. We have 

made considerable progress on our  

Drive for 10 journey and now we  

are prepared to make the most of this 

MAKING THE MOST OF THIS MOMENT

time. Indeed, our initial convictions 

As we look to make the most of our 

held true — volume growth is at an 

leadership position, we continue to 

all-time high and our technologies and 

leverage our operational excellence and 

innovations are sought after, we are 

disciplined approach to capital allocation 

building strategic, solutions-oriented 

to further accelerate our growth. Across 

relationships with our customers, and  

all of our businesses, we must continue 

our commitment to sustainability is 

to focus on our people by developing 

backed by real actions and real  

their talents and providing opportunities 

outcomes — further confirming that 

for them to play influential roles in our 

indeed our time is now.

success. Finally, it is critical that we 

continue to define new possibilities 

and innovate in ways that make us 

the obvious solutions partner for our 

customers and enable us to make a 

difference not only for them, but also  

JOHN A. HAYES 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

2020 ANNUAL REPORT11

2020 FIVE-YEAR REVIEW OF SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA 

BALL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

($ in millions, except per share amounts)

2020  

2019  

2018  

2017  

2016 

Net Sales 

$ 

11,781    $  11,474 

$  11,635 

$  10,983 

$  9,061

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) 

$ 

1,003 

$ 

932 

$ 

935 

$ 

802 

$ 

463

Total interest expense 

  Earnings before taxes (a) 

Net earnings attributable to Ball Corporation (a) 

Basic earnings per share (a) 

(316	) 

(324 ) 

(302 ) 

(288 ) 

(338 )

$	

$ 

$ 

687 

$ 

608 

$ 

633 

585 

1.79 

$ 

$ 

566 

1.71 

$ 

$ 

454 

1.32 

$ 

$ 

$ 

514 

$ 

125

374 

$ 

263

1.07 

$  0.83

Weighted average common shares outstanding (000s) 

326,260 

331,102 

344,796 

350,269 

316,542

Diluted earnings per share (a) 

$	

1.76 

$ 

1.66 

$ 

1.29 

$ 

1.05 

$ 

0.81

Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding (000s)   332,815 

340,121 

352,321 

356,985 

322,884

Total assets 

$  18,252 

$  17,360 

$  16,554 

$ 

17,169 

$  16,173

Total interest bearing debt and finance lease obligations 

Cash dividends per share 

Total cash provided by operating activities (c) 

Selected Financial Data

Comparable operating earnings (b) 

Comparable net earnings (b) 

Diluted earnings per share (comparable basis) (b) 

Free cash flow (b,c) 

EVA dollars (d) 

$ 

$	

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

7,800 

$ 

7,817 

$  6,729 

$  6,971 

$  7,532

0.60 

0.55 

0.400 

0.365 

1,432 

1,548 

1,566 

1,478 

0.26

193

1,415 

$ 

1,331 

$ 

1,290 

$ 

1,220 

$ 

976

987 

2.97 

319 

271 

861 

2.53 

950 

217 

775 

2.20 

750  

242 

728 

2.04 

922  

240 

563

1.74

(413 )

199

Total annual return to common shareholders (e) 

45.2 % 

41.8 % 

22.7 % 

1.8 % 

4.0 %

(a)  Includes business consolidation and other activities and other items affecting comparability between years. Additional details regarding the 2020, 

2019 and 2018 items are available in Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements within Item 8 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K.

(b)  Non-U.S. GAAP measures should not be considered in isolation and should not be considered superior to, or a substitute for, financial measures 
calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Further discussion of non-U.S. GAAP financial measures is available in Item 7 of the Annual Report on 
Form 10-K under Management Performance Measurements and Other Liquidity Measures and the Non-GAAP Measures section of Ball’s website.

(c)  Amounts in 2017 and 2016 have been retrospectively adjusted to reflect the adoption of new accounting guidance that was effective  

January 1, 2018. 

(d) Net operating earnings after tax less a capital charge of 9% after-tax on average invested capital employed.
(e)  Change in stock price plus dividends paid, assuming reinvestment of all dividends paid. Information for this calculation is included in the 

shareholder return performance chart in the Proxy Statement.

2020 ANNUAL REPORT 
 
12

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

DIRECTORS
1

DANIEL J. HEINRICH   
Former Executive Vice President  
and CFO of The Clorox Company 1,3

2

3

4

5

CYNTHIA A. NIEKAMP 
Former Senior Vice President  
of PPG Industries, Inc. 2,3

STUART A. TAYLOR II 
CEO of The Taylor Group, LLC 3,4

JOHN A. HAYES * 
Chairman and CEO of Ball Corporation 

CATHY D. ROSS   
Former Executive Vice President  
and CFO of FedEx Express 1,4

6

7

8

9

GEORGIA R. NELSON 
Former President and CEO  
of PTI Resources, LLC 3,4

PEDRO HENRIQUE MARIANI 
Chairman of the Board  
of Bancom BBM 2

JOHN A. BRYANT 
Former Chairman and CEO  
of Kellogg Company 1,4 

TODD A. PENEGOR   
President and CEO  
of The Wendy’s Company 1,4

10

11

12

MICHAEL J. CAVE 
Former Senior Vice President  
of The Boeing Company 1,2

BETTY SAPP 
Former Director of the National 
Reconnaissance Office (NRO) 2,3

DANIEL W. FISHER *  
President of Ball Corporation 
(not pictured above)

COMMITTEES 
1 Audit 
2 Finance 
4 Nominating/Corporate Governance 
*  New title effective January 1, 2021.

3 Human Resources 

CORPORATE & OPERATING MANAGEMENT

CHARLES E. BAKER  
Vice President, General Counsel  
and Corporate Secretary

NATE C. CAREY  
Vice President and Controller

DANIEL W. FISHER *  
President, Ball Corporation

COLIN J. GILLIS  
President, Beverage Packaging  
North and Central America

JOHN A. HAYES *  
Chairman and CEO

CHARLES S. JOHNSON **  
Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion

DAVID A. KAUFMAN*  
Senior Vice President and President,  
Ball Aerospace 

JEFFREY A. KNOBEL  
Vice President and Treasurer

RONALD J. LEWIS * 
Senior Vice President and COO,  
Global Beverage Packaging 

SCOTT C. MORRISON *  
Executive Vice President and CFO 

CAREY S. CAUSEY *  
President, Beverage Packaging  
Europe, Middle East and Africa

LISA A. PAULEY *  
Executive Vice President,  
Human Resources and Administration

CARLOS PIRES  
President, Beverage Packaging 
South America

STANLEY M. PLATEK  
Vice President and General Manager,  
Aerosol Packaging

DANIEL J. RABBITT  
Vice President, Corporate Planning  
and Development

COURTNEY K. REYNOLDS 
Vice President, Communications  
and Corporate Affairs

  *New title effective January 1, 2021. 
**New title effective January 12, 2021.

2020 ANNUAL REPORT2020 SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

QUARTERLY STOCK PRICES AND DIVIDENDS 
Closing quarterly stock prices for the company’s common stock, and quarterly dividends  
in 2020 and 2019 were:  

2020 

4th Quarter 

3rd Quarter 

2nd Quarter 

1st Quarter 

High  

Low  

$  97.91 

$  84.67 

$  75.40 

$  78.56

$  82.60 

$  69.47 

$  61.17 

$  51.94

Dividends per share 

$ 

0.15 

$ 

0.15 

$ 

0.15 

$  0.15

2019 

High  

Low  

4th Quarter 

3rd Quarter 

2nd Quarter 

1st Quarter 

$  74.11 

$  80.78 

$  69.99 

$  58.84

$  63.34 

$  68.51 

$  57.05 

$  44.26

Dividends per share 

$ 

0.15 

$ 

0.15 

$ 

0.15 

$  0.10

*High and Low stock price represent the highest and lowest daily closing price for the quarter

QUARTERLY RESULTS, COMPANY 
INFORMATION AND INVESTOR RELATIONS
Quarterly financial information and company 
news are posted on www.ball.com/investors. 
For investor relations call (303) 460-3537.

PURCHASE PLAN
A dividend reinvestment and voluntary 
stock purchase plan for Ball Corporation 
shareholders permits purchase of the 
company’s common stock without payment 
of a brokerage commission. Participants in 
this plan may have cash dividends on their 
shares automatically reinvested and, if they 
choose, invest by making optional cash 
payments. Additional information on the 
plan is available by writing Computershare, 
Dividend  Reinvestment Service, P.O. Box 
505000, Louisville, KY 40233-5000. The 
toll-free number is (800) 446-2617, and the 
website is www.computershare.com/investor. 
You can access your Ball Corporation 
common stock account information on the 
Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 
through Computershare’s website. If you need 
assistance, please call Computershare at 
(800) 446-2617 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
Eastern time.

VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING
The annual meeting of Ball Corporation 
shareholders will be held to tabulate the 
votes cast and to report the results of voting 
on the matters listed in the proxy statement 
sent to all shareholders. No other business 
and no presentations are planned. The virtual 
meeting to report voting results will be held 
on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at 7:30 a.m. 
Mountain time.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
The Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2020 
filed by the company with the United States 
Securities and Exchange Commission  
is enclosed.

CERTIFICATIONS
The company has filed with the New York 
Stock Exchange the chief executive officer’s 
annual certification regarding compliance 
with the NYSE’s corporate governance listing 
 standards. The company also has filed with 
the United States Securities and Exchange 
Commission all required certifications by its 
chief executive officer and its chief financial 
officer regarding the quality of the company’s 
public disclosures.

TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR
Computershare 
P.O. Box 505000 
Louisville, KY 40233-5000

SUSTAINABILITY
Ball Corporation balances economic, 
environmental and social aspects in its 
decision making and activities to create  
value for its stakeholders and to contribute  
to its Drive for 10 vision. Find out more  
about our sustainability strategy at  
www.ball.com/sustainability.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Ball Corporation is an equal  
opportunity employer.

This Summary Annual Report should be read in 
conjunction with the audited consolidated financial 
statements and other information contained in 
Ball Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for 
2020, which is being furnished with the company’s 
Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of 
Shareholders. Copyright© Ball Corporation 2020. 
Ball and 
Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Office.

 are trademarks of Ball Corporation  

CORPORATE INFORMATION9200 West 108th Circle 
Westminster, CO 80031 USA
www.ball.com