Among the victims of ongoing supply chain issues is the beverage industry, which has been dealing with a shortage of aluminum cans, just as they have become more popular than ever. But a new plant is being built in Nashua to help address that problem.

The plant, which is under construction on Burke Street, is being built by KJ Can USA, a subsidiary of the Korea-based KJ Co. Ltd. When completed, the plant is expected to produce hundreds of millions of cans a year.

The can shortage has only gotten worse during the pandemic, particularly for smaller craft brewers and beverage producers, as many larger can manufacturers drastically raised the size of minimum orders and others simply stopped working with smaller accounts.

The KJ Can plant is being built to meet the needs of regional craft brewers “for years to come,” said Alvin Widitora, general manager of KJ Can USA.

Construction of the new plant was announced in a press release by G3 Enterprises of Modesto, Calif., a logistics and supply company for the nation’s beverage industry, which will be working to supply cans to customers.

Richard Armstrong, senior director of G3’s Can Division, said the firm will be making available a “stable supply of aluminum cans … to impacted brewers and beverage companies with lower-order minimum quantities, competitive prices and shorter lead times.”

Armstrong added that plans are already in the works to add additional capacity at the Nashua plant even after construction. — JEFF FEINGOLD