EXHIBIT 99.1


News
For Immediate Release                                 SILGAN HOLDINGS INC.
                                                      4 Landmark Square
                                                      Suite 400
                                                      Stamford, CT  06901

                                                      Telephone: (203) 975-7110
                                                      Fax:       (203) 975-7902


                                                          Contact:
                                                          Robert B. Lewis
                                                          (203) 406-3160




                    SILGAN HOLDINGS ELECTS ANTHONY J. ALLOTT
                             CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER


STAMFORD,  CT,  May 3, 2005 -- Silgan  Holdings  Inc.  (Nasdaq:SLGN),  a leading
supplier of consumer goods packaging  products,  today announced that Anthony J.
Allott has been elected as Chief Operating  Officer of the Company.  In addition
to serving as COO, Mr.  Allott will continue in his position as President of the
Company and as a member of the Executive Office.

Tony Allott,  age 40, has been  President  of the Company  since August 2004 and
joined  the  Company  in May 2002 as its  Executive  Vice  President  and  Chief
Financial  Officer.  Prior to joining the  Company,  Mr.  Allott was Senior Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer of Applied Extrusion  Technologies,  Inc.,
or AET,  since July 1996.  From July 1994 until July 1996,  Mr.  Allott was Vice
President  and  Treasurer  of AET.  From 1992 until July  1994,  Mr.  Allott was
Corporate  Controller  and  Director  of  Financial  Reporting  of Ground  Round
Restaurants.  Prior to that, Mr. Allott was a certified  public  accountant with
Deloitte & Touche LLP.


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                                     (more)

SILGAN HOLDINGS
May 3, 2005
Page 2



Silgan  Holdings is a leading  North  American  manufacturer  of consumer  goods
packaging  products  with  annual  net  sales of $2.4  billion  in 2004.  Silgan
operates 61 manufacturing  facilities in the U.S. and Canada.  In North America,
the Company is the largest  supplier of metal containers for food products and a
leading  supplier of plastic  containers for personal care products and of metal
and plastic closures for food and beverage products.


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