Graham Packaging announces planned entry into China with agreement to purchase China Roots Packaging PTE Ltd.

Graham Packaging Company Inc. (NYSE: GRM) today announced that its subsidiary, Graham Packaging Company, L.P., expects to acquire China Roots Packaging PTE Ltd., a plastic container manufacturing company located in Guangzhou, China. Graham Packaging has signed a Share Purchase Agreement to acquire from PCCS Group Berhad, a Malaysian company, 100% of the shares of Roots Investment Holding Private Limited, which will be the sole equity holder of China Roots. The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2010. China Roots operates a world-class container manufacturing plant in the Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development District. The plant makes plastic containers and closures for food, health care, and petrochemical products. Its customers include several global consumer product marketers. The purchase of China Roots will be the first operation for Graham Packaging in China. The purchase will open a new door for our company, said Mark Burgess, CEO for Graham Packaging. China is undeniably a major market, and the opportunity to participate in its growth is very exciting for us.SOURCE Graham Packaging Company Inc.