Alcoa News

Vigor has announced the addition of Jackie O’Brien to Vigor’s leadership team. As EVP of Strategy and Business Development, O’Brien will report directly to the CEO and play a key role in driving the development and execution of Vigor’s growth strategy as a leading industrial company. She will oversee business development for all Vigor business units including defense, aerospace, infrastructure, alternative energy and marine.O’Brien comes to Vigor following a twenty-five year career at Alcoa and Arconic, created by  Alcoa’s separation into two independent companies in 2016.

Mining companies must forge new ties with partners from customers to governments as they pursue innovation and compete for talent with technology giants, Rio Tinto's chief executive said in a speech to be delivered on Tuesday.The mining industry has recovered from the deep commodity crash of 2015-16, but faces headwinds from U.S.-China trade tensions, which have dented the copper price, and is struggling to win investor trust.In a copy of a speech to be delivered at a conference in Melbourne on Tuesday…

The United States on Thursday said it will impose tariffs on aluminum and steel imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union, reigniting investor fears of a global trade war as Washington's allies took steps to retaliate against U.S. goods.The move, announced by U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in a telephone briefing on Thursday, ended months of uncertainty about potential tariff exemptions and suggested a hardening of the Trump administration's approach to trade negotiations.It also sent a chill through financial markets…

China has agreed to scrap export subsidies on a range of products from metals to agriculture and textiles, the United States said on Thursday, in a step by Beijing to reduce trade frictions with Washington. China is to end a program known as its "demonstration bases-common service platform," which provides export subsidies to Chinese companies in seven economic sectors, the U.S. trade representative's office said. Some industry figures were skeptical about the deal's impact, especially regarding steel, which has been a flashpoint with Chinese overcapacity pressuring U.S. suppliers. One source knowledgeable about the agreement said it was not comprehensive enough to do much to help the U.S. steel industry, given its focus was only on specialty products.

Major world stock markets were poised for their biggest weekly advance since 2011 on Friday, as greater investor appetite for riskier assets propelled gains in equities and a surge in commodities and crude oil prices. Declines in the dollar, a bullish oil forecast and giant miner Glencore's pledge Friday to slash world zinc output by 4 percent have lifted beaten-down commodities, with Brent crude oil headed for its biggest weekly rise since March 2009. The U.S. dollar hit a three-week low against the euro as minutes from the Federal Reserve's September policy meeting showed the Fed in no rush to raise interest rates. The MSCI all-country world equity index climbed 0.6 percent, for its eighth daily gain. It was up 4.3 percent for the week, its biggest weekly advance since 2011.

Alcoa, clean technology company Phinergy and HEIG-VD University, today debuted a zero-emissions electric demo boat powered by an aluminum-air battery at Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland. Alcoa and Phinergy announced earlier this year that the companies are collaborating on new materials, processes and components to commercialize the aluminum-air battery for various applications, including electric cars, electric boats and stationary energy. The aluminum-air battery used in the electric boat demonstrator contains 15kg aluminum which provides about 25 hours of additional navigation time…

A U.S. shipping firm is suing Alcoa for $300 million saying it suffered losses after the aluminium maker breached a contract with the Guinean government concerning bauxite shipments from the world's top exporter, court documents showed. Nanko Shipping and its president Mori Diane filed a civil complaint in the U.S. district court of the District of Columbia last week saying it had been harmed by Alcoa's refusal to honor the terms of the 1963 joint-venture mining deal with the Guinean government. That agreement established the Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinee (CBG), the largest bauxite mine in the West African country, and gave the government the right to choose a company to ship half of its production, according to a copy seen by Reuters.

Ohio Governor John Kasich on Friday signed legislation to freeze a six-year old law that required utilities to sell increasing amounts of green energy, making the state the first in the country to roll back a clean energy mandate. Kasich, a Republican mentioned as a possible contender for the 2016 presidential race, signed Senate Bill 310, which passed in the state's legislature with strong support from some of Ohio's biggest industrial power users, such as Alcoa, and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. A number of other companies with operations in the state, including Honda Motor, Honeywell and Whirlpool , opposed the freeze, and have said it will risk new jobs in the state. The original 2008 Ohio law called on utilities to sell more green power each year.

A U.S. grand jury has indicted five members of the Chinese military for allegedly cyber spying on American companies in the nuclear power, metals and solar products industries, the Department of Justice said on Monday. The military hackers conspired to steal information that would be useful to competitors of those companies in China, including state-owned companies there, the agency said. Six American companies, including United States Steel Corp , Alcoa Inc and Allegheny Technologies Inc, and one labor union were victims of Chinese hacking attacks, U.S. officials said.

Michael E. Ford, 75, of Waretown, NJ, passed away on January 4, 2014. Born in Washington, DC and raised in Chevy Chase, Md., he graduated from the #United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY, in 1960 with a degree in Marine Engineering, and earned a master’s degree in International Business from Bernard M. Baruch College, New York, in 1979. He served his country as an officer in the United States Naval Reserve. Following his graduation from Kings Point, he sailed for the Alcoa Steamship Company, raising his Coast Guard license to Chief Engineer, unlimited.

Alcoa Fastening Systems, a global manufacturer and producer of lockbolts and structural blind fasteners, announced the premium BOM (blind oversized mechanically locked) fastener. According to the manufacturer, the BOM is the highest strength blind oversize fastener in the world, providing typical tensile strength up to 29,100 lbs. and shear strength up to 45,100 lbs. The unique push-and-pull design of the BOM allows for easy installation in all blind side applications, without the need for torqueing tools.

Odfjell Terminals has entered into a Letter of Intent to purchase Chem-Marine Corporation of South Carolina. Chem-Marine controls a 25.3 acre/10.2 hectare site through a long term land lease, and is located adjacent to Odfjell's tank terminal in North Charleston, South Carolina. The property is situated on the Cooper River and has a 250 meters deep-water front and a 12.5 meter draft ship berth, with one dedicated stainless steel lines connected to 12,800 cbm of storage in two carbon steel tanks.

Capt. Jeffrey Monroe, MM, Chairman of the United States Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s National Maritime Security Advisory Committee, and former Chairman of the US Coast Guard’s National Maritime Safety Advisory Council, completed the first seminar for US port executives at the Philadelphia Maritime Exchange in Pennsylvania. This was the first program offered in the US by Canadian interests. Capt. Monroe, a licensed master mariner with a Master’s Degree in Transportation management…

Alcoa "Ocean Carrier Award", Eastman "Excellence Award" and "PPG Excellent Supplier Award": Hapag-Lloyd America has been presented with no less than three awards for outstanding service in the last few weeks. Hapag-Lloyd America has received three awards for high service quality from major clients in the USA within a matter of weeks. The US company Alcoa – one of the world's market-leading manufacturers and processors of aluminium – for the first time named Hapag-Lloyd the best global container shipping company among its service providers. The judges' criteria were the volume of North American imports and exports and the punctuality of deliveries. Hapag-Lloyd is also one of Eastman's most valued service providers, scooping the US chemical company's "Excellence Award" for 2011.

NEW YORK -- Aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. will see its advanced shipbuilding techniques paying off in an initial $2.1 million U.S. Navy contract. Alcoa said the processes give the company an edge over competitors and saves procurement costs. The company also said the contract will enable it to develop advanced welding techniques, which are seen likely to reduce costs of aluminum-intensive shipbuilding. Alcoa will adapt high-deposition gas metal arc welding technology to marine structures, enabling the Navy to reduce the cost of shipbuilding. Total projected savings for the Navy could be as much as $200 million under current shipbuilding plans, the company said.

Alcoa has been awarded a U.S. Navy $2.1 million contract to develop advanced welding techniques designed to reduce manufacturing costs on aluminum-intensive ships. Under the program, developed through a collaboration by Alcoa’s Government Affairs team and researchers at the Alcoa Technical Center in New Kensington, PA, Alcoa will adapt high-deposition gas metal arc welding technology to marine structures, enabling the Navy to reduce the cost of shipbuilding. Total projected savings for the Navy could be as much as $200 million under current shipbuilding plans. High-deposition gas metal arc welding is a semi-automated welding process that reduces weld passes, thus reducing labor costs and improving weld quality.

Alcoa Chairman and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld and United Shipbuilding Corporation President Roman Trotsenko, signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the companies aimed at helping to develop the Russian ship building market and increasing the use of aluminum in Russian ship building. The signing took place at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. During preliminary consultations the parties defined potential areas for cooperation including the technical and commercial aspects of growing the Russian market. Aluminum has been used in marine applications since the 1890's and has proven itself as a lightweight, durable and affordable material that allows ships to go faster, carry bigger payloads and travel longer ranges.

Alcoa Inc. has acquired the assets of Marina Accessibility Products, Inc., a manufacturer of marine access systems based in Surrey, BC, Canada. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Marina Accessibility Products is known as the developer of the Ramp Rider, a gangway inclined lift system that enables people to move safely between unstable elevations in marine environments. The product consists of a self-leveling all-wheel-drive car that travels on a specialized gangway to provide access to floating docks. The Ramp Rider will be manufactured at REDD Team Mfg, a maker of extruded aluminum products that is part of Alcoa Engineered Products business located in Keystone Heights, Fla.

1853-The English ship Western World grounded off Spring Lake, New Jersey, during a gale with about 600 persons on board. Everyone was rescued using equipment at the nearby station. 1960-Early in the morning, SS Alcoa Corsair and SS Lorenzo Marcello collided near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Although the Lorenzo Marcello suffered no casualties and proceeded to New Orleans, Alcoa Corsair had 8 fatalities, 9 injured, and 1 missing, besides being forced to beach because of severe damages. A Coast Guard helicopter removed 4 of the critically injured crewmen, while Coast Guard boats and other craft ferried the remaining ones ashore to waiting ambulances.

L-3 Unidyne announced that it has been awarded a $14m firm fixed-price contract to execute the U.S. Navy’s Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) for LCACs 63, 72 and 74. The award includes provisions for additional work, which if exercised, would bring the total value of this contract to approximately $17m. Work will be performed in Camp Pendleton, Calif., and is expected to be completed by August 2012. The LCAC SLEP scope of work includes repair and upgrade of the buoyancy box and fuel system, installation of more powerful gas turbine engines, installation of a deeper skirt, and completion of selected craft alterations and repair work.

Technology, The Aluminum Association, Inc. Aluminum has been used in the marine industry for more than 100 years because of its light weight and ease of fabrication combined with good corrosion and fatigue resistance. However, for much of the past 30 years, fiberglass has been the material of choice of North American boatbuilders, particularly for higher-volume production lines. Competitively priced compared with boats made from most other materials, fiberglass boats can also be made from standardized molds that reduce their construction time and labor. Aluminum alloys, which are specified for marine use, offer many benefits, though, too.

1853-The English ship Western World grounded off Spring Lake, New Jersey, during a gale with about 600 persons on board. Everyone was rescued using equipment at the nearby station. 1960-Early in the morning, SS Alcoa Corsair and SS Lorenzo Marcello collided near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Although the Lorenzo Marcello suffered no casualties and proceeded to New Orleans, Alcoa Corsair had 8 fatalities, 9 injured, and 1 missing, besides being forced to beach because of severe damages. A Coast Guard helicopter removed 4 of the critically injured crewmen, while Coast Guard boats and other craft ferried the remaining ones ashore to waiting ambulances.

Executive Vice President Jon Erik Reinhardsen resigns and assumes a position in Alcoa as President - Growth, Primary Products. Reinhardsen has been a member of Aker Kvaerner's executive management team and from 2002 been located in Houston, USA. He will now move to Alcoa's office in New York. Jon Erik Reinhardsen's position in Aker Kvaerner will not be replaced as his tasks will be handled by other members of the management team.