UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549



                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934



       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 25, 2009



                              SILGAN HOLDINGS INC.
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             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)


          Delaware                     000-22117                 06-1269834
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(State or other jurisdiction          (Commission               (IRS Employer
      of incorporation)               File Number)           Identification No.)


4 Landmark Square, Stamford, Connecticut                                06901
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(Address of principal executive offices)                              (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (203) 975-7110


                                       N/A
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          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)



Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the Registrant under any of the
following provisions:


     [ ] Written  communications  pursuant to Rule 425 under the  Securities Act
(17 CFR 230.425)

     [ ] Soliciting  material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
CFR 240.14a-12)

     [ ] Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant to Rule  14d-2(b)  under the
Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

     [ ] Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant to Rule  13e-4(c)  under the
Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))







                 Section 5--Corporate Governance and Management

Item 5.02.  Departure of Directors or Certain  Officers;  Election of Directors;
Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

(e) Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

On February 25, 2009,  the  Compensation  Committee of the Board of Directors of
Silgan  Holdings  Inc.,  or the  Company,  (i)  set  the  performance  goal  and
performance   goal  target  for  2009  under  the  Company's   Senior  Executive
Performance  Plan,  or the  Performance  Plan,  for Mr.  Anthony J. Allott,  the
President and Chief  Executive  Officer of the Company and the only  participant
under the Performance Plan, (ii) set financial targets and organizational  goals
for  bonuses  for 2009 for other  executive  officers  of the  Company and (iii)
established performance criteria for 2009 for potential performance awards to be
granted in 2010 under the  Company's  2004 Stock  Incentive  Plan,  or the Stock
Incentive Plan.

The  Compensation  Committee  set the  performance  goal for 2009 for Mr. Allott
under the Performance Plan as the EBITDA (as defined in the Performance Plan) of
the Company and the  performance  goal target for 2009 as the achievement of the
EBITDA  level  of  the  Company  from  2008.  The  Compensation  Committee  also
determined that the maximum amount that could be awarded to Mr. Allott under the
Performance Plan for 2009 would be 100% of his annual base salary for 2008, with
the actual amount being determined  pursuant to a formula based on the Company's
EBITDA for 2009 as compared to the Company's EBITDA for 2008.

The Compensation  Committee approved annual bonuses for 2009 for each of Messrs.
Robert B. Lewis,  Executive  Vice President and Chief  Financial  Officer of the
Company, Adam J. Greenlee, Executive Vice President,  Operations of the Company,
and Frank W. Hogan, III, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of
the  Company,  in an amount up to a maximum  amount of 40% of his annual  salary
received in 2009,  with the amount of such annual bonus being  calculated on the
same basis that an annual bonus is calculated for the Chief Executive Officer of
the Company for 2009 under the Performance Plan.

The  Compensation  Committee set a target level of earnings  before interest and
taxes and  organizational  goals  (management  development,  market  leadership,
operational  leadership,  working  capital  management,   selling,  general  and
administrative  cost  management  and financial  reporting and controls) for the
payment  of  annual  bonuses  for 2009 to  officers  of Silgan  Containers  LLC,
including Mr. Thomas J. Snyder,  President of Silgan  Containers LLC.  Following
the end of the  year,  the  Compensation  Committee  will  confirm  the level of
earnings before interest and taxes and  organizational  goals attained by Silgan
Containers LLC, and bonuses will be awarded to officers of Silgan Containers LLC
on a  sliding  scale  (from  zero to two times  "norm")  on such  basis.  If the
targeted level of earnings  before interest and taxes and  organizational  goals
for Silgan  Containers  LLC are  attained,  Mr. Snyder would receive a bonus for
2009 at "norm," or at 30% of his salary for 2009.


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The  Compensation  Committee set a target level of earnings  before interest and
taxes and organizational goals (management development,  safety, working capital
management,  market leadership,  operational  leadership and financial reporting
and controls)  for the payment of annual  bonuses for 2009 to officers of Silgan
Plastics LLC,  including Mr. Alan H. Koblin,  President of Silgan  Plastics LLC.
Following the end of the year, the Compensation Committee will confirm the level
of earnings  before  interest  and taxes and  organizational  goals  attained by
Silgan  Plastics LLC, and bonuses will be awarded to officers of Silgan Plastics
LLC on a sliding  scale (from zero to two times  "norm") on such  basis.  If the
targeted level of earnings  before interest and taxes and  organizational  goals
for Silgan Plastics LLC are attained,  Mr. Koblin would receive a bonus for 2009
at "norm," or at 35% of his salary for 2009.

The  Compensation  Committee set a target level of earnings  before interest and
taxes and  organizational  goals  (market  leadership,  operational  leadership,
working capital management,  selling, general and administrative cost management
and  financial  reporting  and  controls)  for  Silgan  White Cap Global for the
payment of an annual cash bonus for 2009 to officers of Silgan White Cap Global,
including Mr. Peter Konieczny,  President of Silgan White Cap Global.  Following
the end of the  year,  the  Compensation  Committee  will  confirm  the level of
earnings before interest and taxes and  organizational  goals attained by Silgan
White Cap Global and a bonus will be  awarded to  officers  of Silgan  White Cap
Global on a sliding  scale  (from  zero to two times  "norm")  on such  basis as
applicable.  If the  targeted  level of earnings  before  interest and taxes and
operational goals for Silgan White Cap Global are attained,  Mr. Konieczny would
receive a bonus for 2009 at "norm", or at 35% of his salary for 2009.

The Compensation  Committee approved annual cash bonus calculations for 2009 for
each of Anthony P. Andreacchi, Malcolm E. Miller and B. Fredrick Prinzen and Ms.
Kimberly I. Ulmer,  executive  officers  of the  Company,  based upon a weighted
average of actual  bonus  payouts  as a  percentage  of "norm" to the  executive
officers of the Company under the  respective  bonus plans of Silgan  Containers
LLC, Silgan Plastics LLC and the North America,  Europe,  Asia and South America
operations of Silgan White Cap, using each  business'  percentage of the overall
earnings  before  interest  and  taxes of all such  businesses  as the basis for
weighting. Such executive officers are eligible to receive a bonus for 2009 on a
sliding scale (from zero to two times  "norm"),  with "norm" for such  executive
officers being 30% of their salary for 2009.

Additionally,  the Compensation  Committee approved potential performance awards
of  restricted  stock units for an aggregate  of up to 151,300  shares of Common
Stock of the Company to a total of 37 officers  and other key  employees  of the
Company and its subsidiaries, and fixed and established the performance criteria
for the Company's 2009 fiscal year for the granting of such  performance  awards
under the Stock Incentive Plan. Messrs. Allott, Lewis, Hogan and Konieczny, each
of whom is a person  named in the Summary  Compensation  Table in the  Company's
most recent  proxy  statement,  are included in such group of officers and other
key employees. The performance criteria for the 2009 fiscal year selected by the
Compensation  Committee  is  the  Company's  earnings  before  interest,  taxes,
depreciation  and  amortization  for 2009,  and the minimum level of performance
that must be attained for 2009 for the  performance  awards to be granted is


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75% of the level of the Company's earnings before interest,  taxes, depreciation
and  amortization  in 2008.  If the  minimum  level of  performance  for 2009 is
attained as confirmed by the Compensation  Committee  following the end of 2009,
then the  Compensation  Committee  may make  grants  for an  aggregate  of up to
151,300  restricted  stock units to such 37 officers and other key  employees of
the Company and its  subsidiaries.  In  determining  the amount of a performance
award to grant to a particular  officer or other key employee,  the Compensation
Committee  targets a multiple  of such  individual's  annual  base salary as the
level of the nominal  value of unvested  stock awards for such  individual.  The
multiple for each  individual  is  determined  on the basis of the  individual's
anticipated  long-term  contribution to the Company. The Compensation  Committee
will then review the nominal value of unvested stock awards  previously  granted
to such individual  compared to such individual's target multiple of salary, and
may  grant  restricted  stock  units to such  individual  in an amount up to the
maximum amount  approved by the  Compensation  Committee for such  individual on
February 25, 2009. Generally,  in making grants the Compensation  Committee will
consider  performance  awards for individuals  whose aggregate  unvested nominal
value of unvested  stock awards is less than their target  multiple of salary so
that their total  nominal  value of unvested  stock  awards  approximates  their
target multiple of salary.  Such  restricted  stock units will be granted at the
earliest  upon the date on which the  Compensation  Committee  confirms that the
minimum level of performance was attained,  will vest in five equal installments
annually beginning one year from the date of grant, and will carry with them the
right to receive  dividend  equivalents in an amount equal to all cash dividends
paid on one share of Common Stock of the Company for each restricted  stock unit
while such restricted  stock unit is outstanding and until such restricted stock
unit vests.



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                                   SIGNATURES


     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                    SILGAN HOLDINGS INC.


                                    By:  /s/ Frank W. Hogan, III
                                         --------------------------------------
                                         Frank W. Hogan, III
                                         Senior Vice President, General Counsel
                                          and Secretary

Date:  March 2, 2009



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