Following the lifting of the twenty year ban on cans in Denmark the Danes are now drinking canned beer and soft drinks like never before. It has therefore been natural for Rexam, the world's leading producer of beverage cans, to locate its new production facility in Denmark. On Tuesday 8 April the foundation stone for the factory in Fredericia costing around 850 million Danish Kroner will be laid. After the factory is completed in the first half of 2009 it will produce 1.2 billion cans a year. The factory will create 120 new jobs in Fredericia.

Over the last few years consumers in Denmark (and in Europe generally) have really discovered the many benefits that the drinks can has compared to the traditional glass bottle.

"We expect that around 30% of the beer and soft drinks that are consumed in Denmark this year will be from cans. It is in particular the lower weight and therefore easier transportation and handling of cans, the fact that canned beer and soft drinks chill faster and take up less space in the refrigerator than a bottle and that it is much easier to consume cans in the open air, for example in the garden, on the beach, at festivals or visiting the park, that has caused the Danes to take cans to their hearts. Cans are quite simply a better type of packaging than bottles for drinks products and we are now seeing this reflected in our sales figures." says Göte Nylin, Market Development Director for Rexam.

In Europe in 2007 50.2 billion cans of beer, soda water and other soft drinks were sold, which is an increase of 10.2% compared to 2006 and is the largest increase ever.

"We are locating Rexam's new production facility in Fredericia, as this location will enable us to effectively service our customers in Denmark, the rest of Scandinavia and Germany. The factory reflects the fantastic growth in the market for drinks cans in Europe in general and in Denmark in particular," says Sector Director Tomas Sjölin, Beverage Can Europe & Asia Rexam.