Owens-Illinois, Inc. (O-I) today announced the acquisition of Brazilian glassmaker Companhia Industrial de Vidros (CIV), significantly expanding O-I's reach in South America's largest container market.

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CIV is the leading glass container producer in northeastern Brazil, one of the country's fastest-growing regions. The acquisition includes two plants in the state of Pernambuco and one in the state of Ceara and boosts O-I's capacity in Brazil by approximately 50 percent. The plants employ approximately 1,300 people and produce glass containers for the beverage, food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as tableware.  

Under the terms of the agreement, O-I is purchasing CIV's glass container business for $603 million, which includes future tax benefits with an estimated present value of $140 million. These tax benefits include federal and state incentives for development in Brazil's northeastern region. The all-cash transaction closed today.

In the first full year of operation, O-I expects the acquisition will boost regional net sales by approximately $200 million. The return on investment is expected to exceed O-I's cost of capital. The purchase price reflects a 5.8 times EBITDA multiple for the first year of operation, excluding the present value of future tax benefits and including estimated net cost savings.

"The acquisition of this well-managed company in South America – our fastest-growing and most profitable region – directly supports our strategy of expanding our presence in emerging markets with robust earnings growth potential," said Al Stroucken, O-I chairman and CEO. "Our recent expansions in Argentina, China, Malaysia and Vietnam, as well as the opening of new furnaces in Peru and New Zealand, clearly demonstrate our commitment to these rapidly growing regions and the opportunities they offer."  

O-I South America President Andres Lopez says the expanded Brazilian footprint also aligns with unfolding consumer trends and customer growth plans. "Economic development and increased consumer purchasing power is driving significant growth in the Brazilian container market. Our customers are expanding their operations, and this acquisition enables us to serve them, as well as new customers, more effectively. After we've implemented our advanced technology and lean manufacturing principles, we fully expect to boost productivity in the new plants," said Lopez.  

Highlights of the acquisition and additional market-related data are available on the

O-I Web site at  www.o-i.com/investorrelations.

About O-I

Millions of times a day, O-I glass containers deliver many of the world's best-known consumer products to people all around the world. With the leading position in Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and Latin America, O-I manufactures consumer-preferred, 100 percent recyclable glass containers that enable superior taste, purity, visual appeal and value benefits for our customers' products. Established in 1903, the company employs more than 22,000 people with 78 plants in 22 countries. In 2009, net sales were $7.1 billion. For more information, visit www.o-i.com.

Regulation G

EBITDA consists of earnings before interest income, interest expense, provision for income taxes, noncontrolling interests, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is not a measurement of financial performance under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flow from operating activities or as a measure of liquidity or an alternative to net income as indicators of the Company's operating performance or any other measures of performance derived in accordance with GAAP. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to EBITDA is earnings from continuing operations attributable to the Company. EBITDA, as calculated by the Company, may not necessarily be comparable to other similarly titled captions of other companies due to potential inconsistencies in the method of calculation. Management uses this non-GAAP measure principally for internal reporting, forecasting and budgeting and believes that investors may use it as supplemental information to evaluate a company's ability to service its indebtedness.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectations and projections about future events at the time, and thus involve uncertainty and risk. It is possible the Company's future financial performance may differ from expectations due to a variety of factors including, but not limited to the following: (1) foreign currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar, (2) changes in capital availability or cost, including interest rate fluctuations, (3) the general political, economic and competitive conditions in markets and countries where the Company has operations, including disruptions in capital markets, disruptions in the supply chain, competitive pricing pressures, inflation or deflation, and changes in the tax rates and laws, (4) consumer preferences for alternative forms of packaging, (5) fluctuation in raw material and labor costs, (6) availability of raw materials, (7) costs and availability of energy, (8) transportation costs, (9) the ability of the Company to raise selling prices commensurate with energy and other cost increases, (10) consolidation among competitors and customers, (11) the ability of the Company to integrate operations of acquired businesses and achieve expected synergies, (12) unanticipated expenditures with respect to environmental, safety and health laws, (13) the performance by customers of their obligations under purchase agreements, and (14) the timing and occurrence of events which are beyond the control of the Company, including events related to asbestos-related claims. It is not possible to foresee or identify all such factors. Any forward-looking statements in this news release are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments, and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from expectations. While the Company continually reviews trends and uncertainties affecting the Company's results of operations and financial condition, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or supplement any particular forward-looking statements contained in this news release.

SOURCE Owens-Illinois, Inc.

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When fall comes around one's thoughts drift to vibrant foliage, pumpkins and of course Oktoberfest. In New York, the festivities start early - September is officially known as German-American Friendship Month.

Recognized by the Mayor's office for the fourth consecutive year, German-American Friendship Month honors the German-American culture and the many contributions made by German immigrants by holding an entire month of celebrations, including the 53rd German-American Steuben Parade.

To Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner, the Austrian born chef and owner of the KG-NY Restaurant Group, Oktoberfest is a year-round celebration. Renowned for his expertise in Austrian and German cuisine, Gutenbrunner embraces the upcoming seasonal festivities, actively supporting the many activities, including hosting the opening reception of German-American Friendship Month.

"It is a wonderful time of the year, and I am proud to be part of the celebrations. My joy of sharing the richness and flavors of Austria and Germany with others is the main reason I began my restaurants. To be invited to participate in the city-wide activities of German-American Friendship Month and Oktoberfest is a great honor."

It was ten years ago that Chef Gutenbrunner opened the doors to his Michelin Star "Wallse", located in the West Village. Since then, he has opened Cafe Sabarsky at the Neue Galerie, Blaue Gans in Tribeca, and the Upholstery Store Wine Bar, also in the West Village. Each restaurant holds its own character and charm and feature unique menus featuring traditional Austrian cuisine delicately touched with a contemporary flair. Most recently, Gutenbrunner has been serving as the culinary consultant to the Standard Hotels in New York and Los Angeles to help open the popular Biergarten at each location.

Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner, Culinary Consultant to the Biergarten and founder of KGNY Restaurant Group. The KG-NY portfolio of restaurants includes Wallse, Cafe Sabarsky at the Neue Galerie, Blaue Gans, and the Upholstery Store wine bar. All feature traditional and nouveau-Austrian and German cuisine.

For additional information about Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner and the KG-NY Restaurant visit:

www.wallse.com

About KG-NY:  The KGNY Restaurant Group owns and operates several restaurants throughout New York City. Founded by top Austrian chef Kurt Gutenbrunner, the KGNY portfolio of restaurants feature modern interpretations of Austrian cuisine. For more information visit: www.wallse.com or call 212.240.9557,

SOURCE KG-NY

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Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE: CQB) asks you to nominate the everyday athletes, teams and coaches of all ages and competition levels, who excel at what they do, to be named Chiquita Champions™.

"Chiquita's passion is to empower our consumers with products that enable them to make a healthy decision in their daily diet, and give them the fuel they need for optimum performance," said Brian Kocher, president, Chiquita Brands North America.  "We've established this award program to honor the athletic achievements of the champions who make Chiquita bananas a part of their nutrition regimen. They are champions our consumers know best: family members, friends and neighbors."

Chiquita launched the Chiquita Champions awards program in May, accepting nominations for athletes, teams and coaches. Thus far 55 winners have been selected, each story offering a unique perspective on what a champion can achieve, including:

• Donna Pearring, or "Coach P" as she is known in Annandale, Va., where the 47-year-old basketball coach finished her last season with the Flames after coaching the girls from first through eighth grade. Her favorite way to enjoy a Chiquita banana: just peel and eat.
• Russell Loy, who at age 69 makes sure he packs a Chiquita banana along as the state record-breaking cyclist trains; it is an activity the Cockeysville, Md., resident became competitive at when he turned 49.  
• The Fire FC Premier '97 Girls from Grand Junction, Colo. - the soccer team of 13-year-olds became the first in their area to make it to the Colorado State Cup semi-finals and then go on to win the State Cup. Chiquita bananas help them fuel up for games.  

From softball and soccer to marathon running and roller skating, 25 sports are currently represented in the program. Consumers can access all of the stories at ChiquitaChampions.com™ or submit a video or photo of their nominee's shining moments and provide a brief explanation of why that person (or team) is a Chiquita Champion.

Every month, both individual and team winners from each of 12 regions in North America are named Chiquita Champions and receive a custom Chiquita Champions athletic gear award package. Non-professional or non-collegiate athletes, teams or coaches are eligible to win and will be judged by the selection committee for Chiquita Champions within the context of the age and competition level in which they participate, based on the level of achievement as compared with peers.

Want to see what else Chiquita is up to? "Like" our Chiquita Banana page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. To see other good news you might have missed, visit our online newsroom, or check out www.chiquita.com.

About Chiquita Brands International, Inc.

Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE: CQB) is a leading international marketer and distributor of high-quality fresh and value-added food products – from energy-rich bananas and other fruits to nutritious blends of convenient green salads. The company markets its healthy, fresh products under the Chiquita^® and Fresh Express^® premium brands and other related trademarks. With annual revenues of $3.5 billion, Chiquita employs approximately 21,000 people and has operations in nearly 80 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit our corporate website at www.chiquitabrands.com.

SOURCE Chiquita Brands International, Inc.

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Frbiz.com, one of China's leading B2B search platforms, analyzes trends and developments in the dairy products packaging machinery industry.

In the dairy industry, acidified dairy beverages have become the Chinese dairy industry's biggest category with the greatest development potential over the past 3 consecutive years. Showing yearly growth of 30%. Plastic packaging is used in acid beverage containers and packing types and methods are growing ever more varied and quicker. The growth rate of packaging development is even exceeding product growth rate. Small packaging at 220ml and below, using HDPE plastic bottles for acidified dairy beverages, finds its core consumer group with children.

Tea drinks, fruit juices and functional drinks, after several years of painstaking efforts, have become a mature and stable product in China's beverage market. High temperature filling technology for many beverage enterprises is providing the best packaging solution to meet product safety codes and growth. Costs of material and operations can also be reduced with this practice. High-speed hot filling machine technology has become sufficiently mature to provide China's large and medium-sized beverage production enterprises with advanced, reliable and stable drink filling machine equipment that will bring more direct cost benefits.

China's dairy industry largely uses asepsis packing boxes with filling equipment relying on imports. Excessive dependence on foreign advanced technology seriously restricts the development of the packaging equipment industry in China. Because the whole country is still in a learning stage, lack of flexibility is experienced. Therefore, China's domestic packaging equipment industry must take self-directed innovation for long-term development.

About Frbiz.com

Frbiz.com is a promising e-commerce company and a leading vertical search engine company in China. Frbiz.com offers a variety of high quality products ( http://www.frbiz.com/products/ ) such as color flyer printing ( http://www.frbiz.com/q-color_flyer_printing/ ), laser marking systems ( http://www.frbiz.com/q-laser_marking_system/ ), HP 57 cartridges ( http://www.frbiz.com/q-hp_57_cartridge/ ) and more.

    For more information, please contact:

     www.frbiz.com
     Tel:   +86-10-6556-9770
     Email: my@frbiz.com

SOURCE Frbiz.com

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As hurricane Earl batters the Caribbean, National Hurricane Center forecasters are not ruling out a direct hit on the US Atlantic Coast.  Evacuations have already been ordered in parts of North Carolina.

Primo Water Corporation urges families in the path of the storm to make sure they include enough fresh water as they start assembling hurricane disaster kits.  Both the National Hurricane Center and the American Red Cross put a fresh water supply at the top of the list of things to gather.  

"The flooding that accompanies a hurricane can contaminate local water systems, so stocking up on three- or five- gallon bottles of water before the storm hits is the responsible thing to do," said Kelly Lockwood-Primus, Primo VP of Marketing.

"Primo has a hurricane plan that allows us to supplement water availability in various parts of the country in the event of a disaster," she said.  Company workers in the Carolinas started moving resources to the Outer Banks earlier this week.  Other Primo crews began redirecting supplies to the Maryland, New Jersey and New York coasts.  Extra Primo resources have also been put on standby for New England.  

The National Hurricane Center recommends families prepare at least one gallon of water per person per day to last for three to seven days.  The Red Cross recommends a three day supply in the case of an evacuation; a two week supply for those who wait out the storm at home.  

Non-perishable food and water may be the obvious basis for any disaster kit, but getting along without electricity can be a critical challenge.  Next to vital family documents, fresh batteries and flashlights are among the items forgotten most, and for those who prepared with three- and five-gallon bottled water, getting access is difficult without a manual pump.  Primo offers that option with its Bottled Water Pump.  It is available through national retailers as well as www.PrimoWater.com.

Learn more about disaster preparedness and how to build a disaster kit from:

The National Hurricane Center:  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

The American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org

Primo Water Corporation is the responsible choice for consumers who want to drink great tasting water. A leading nationwide provider of water and Energy Star rated home water dispensers; Primo chooses not to sell water in single-use water bottles and instead promotes the reduction of plastic in landfills by offering zero waste three- and five-gallon bottles. Primo's patent pending recycle/exchange program encourages consumers to return the empty bottle. Primo then refreshes and re-uses the bottles an average of 40 times before recycling the plastic. The majority of Primo water is bottled at locations within 100 miles of its point of sale minimizing its transportation carbon footprint. In nationwide blind taste tests, 3 out of 4 consumers preferred Primo over the nation's top selling spring waters.

Learn more about Primo Water at www.primowater.com.

SOURCE Primo Water Corporation

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