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COMPANY NEWS
Aluminium semis
NORTH AMERICA
Wise Metals
quietly tightens up in 2006
Wise Metals LLC’s 2006 earnings aptly
illustrated that the glass half-emptyvs-half-full
metaphor is all about perspective.
The Lithicum heights, Maryland-based
company quietly trimmed
a good chunk of its work force during
the year. Over the last five years the
company has reduced its workforce
by about 600 individuals, nearly 38%.
For the four years between December
2001 and December 2005 sheet operations
shrank by 94 workers while
total employment was up by 84.
Using standard accounting norms,
the scrap-based aluminium sheet
producer and recycler posted a loss
of US$ 80.1 million for the year, much
more than the US$ 21.6 million loss
logged in 2005. Using the common
calculation of adjusted earnings before
interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization, Wise would show growing
profitability, with 2006 earnings
climbing to US$ 9.1 million from US$
7.5 million in 2005.
Annual sales rose to US$ 1.01 billion
from US$ 884 million in 2005.
On the move
The corporate management board of
“new” Hydro will comprise: Eivind Reiten,
President and CEO; John Ove
Ottestad, Chief Financial Officer;
Torstein Dale Sjøtveit, Aluminium Metal;
Svein Richard Brandtzæg, Aluminium
Products; Jørgen C. Arentz Rostrup,
Power; Rom Røtjer, Projects; Cecilie
Ditlev-Simonsen, Communication, Odd
Ivar Biller, Legal affairs; Anne Harris,
Human Resources and Organizational
Development.
Ormet Corp. has named Michael Tanchuk
to succeed Ken Campbell as CEO.
Gulf Aluminium Rolling Mill Co.’s
(Garmco) CFO Patrick Becket left the
company at the end of May to join the
government holding company Bahrain
Mumtalakat Holding Co.
However, physical shipments were
off 1% to 343,000 tonnes.
Alcoa with new surface
treatment on aftermarket
SUV wheels
Alcoa Forged Specialty Wheels, a
Cleveland-based business unit of Alcoa,
unveiled Dura-Bright technology,
a revolutionary new wheel surface
treatment available on aftermarket
truck and SUV wheels that offers a
premium appearance combined with
unmatched ease of maintenance.
Alcoa’s Dura-Bright technology provides
sophisticated style that is easy
to maintain. It is not a coating or a
finish, but a proprietary surface treatment
that penetrates and reacts with
the aluminium thus becoming an integral
part of the wheel. The process
resists peeling, cracking, and corrosion.
Dura-Bright technology continually
resists brake dust, dirt and
road grime allowing drivers to maintain
their vehicles appearance with
minimal maintenance – just with a
little soap and water. Each wheel is
engraved with an icon to identify the
wheel as being treated with Alcoa’s
new surface treatment allowing customers
to identify the benefits of the
product.
Jupiter looks to resume
operations in summer
Jupiter Aluminum Corp., Hammond,
Indiana, intends to resume operations
this summer after its cold mill building
was destroyed by a fire in November
2006. The new cold mill will be slightly
larger than the one that burned down
and incorporate more state-of-the-art
features, including safety and power
distribution systems. The company’s
core business is building and construction,
primarily rainware (gutters
and downspouts), trim and soffit coils,
drip edges, screen frames, vents and
louvers. Jupiter also supplies coil to
the irrigation, cookware, sign blanks
and license plate markets.
Innovative solution for phase
conductor identification
Alcan Cable introduced its new Stabiloy
FeederPle cable, an innovative
solution for phase conductor identification
in commercial and industrial
applications. Consisting of a plexed
assembly of Stabiloy Type XHHW-2
conductors with colour coded phase
conductors, FeederPlex provides total
installed cost savings for pipe and
wire installations while providing
clear phase identification. The product
is lightweight and will improve
cable performance by providing a
lower voltage drop than occurs in the
assembly of paralleled conductors.
JW Aluminum to acquire
Tennessee rolling mill
JW Aluminum, Mount Holly, South
Carolina, will acquire Rollex Aluminum’
s Jackson, Tennessee, aluminium
rolling plant. Terms of the deal
were not disclosed. The acquisition of
the rolling mill will enhance JW Aluminum’s
capabilities and expand its
product offerings. The Jackson facility
will be JW Aluminum’s fourth, joining
three others in Mount Holly, St.
Louis and Russelville, Arkansas. JW
Aluminum manufactures specialty
flat-rolled aluminium products for
the heating and cooling, packaging
and construction sectors. JW Aluminum
has named Melvin P. Lee vice
president, sales and marketing.
Significant weight savings to
SAF-Holland’s fifth wheel
Alcoa’s aluminium top plate forging
enabled SAF-Holland to shed 45 kg
in weight and to integrate NoLube
technology in the world’s lightest and
first commercially available aluminium
fifth wheel for tractor-trailers.
Aluminium has been the lightweight,
high-strength material of choice for
the trucking industry to realise significant
operational savings and safely
increase cargo loads for many years.
86 ALUMINIUM · 6/2007