Facility to Double Production of Alcoa’s Aluminum Dura-Bright® EVO Surface-Treated Wheels
Alcoa (NYSE:AA), the inventor and global leader of forged aluminum
wheels, is investing US$13 million to expand its wheel manufacturing
plant in Europe, to meet growing demand for its lightweight, durable,
low-maintenance aluminum truck wheels.
The expansion of the Székesfehérvár, Hungary facility will enable Alcoa
to produce twice as many Dura-Bright® EVO surface-treated
wheels in Europe by early 2015, compared with current production levels.
“Demand for Alcoa’s forged aluminum wheels continues to grow in Europe,
as emissions regulations drive up the need for stronger, lighter and
easier-to-maintain wheels that increase payload, reduce maintenance
costs and enhance sustainability,” said Tim Myers, President, Alcoa
Wheel and Transportation Products. “Additional capacity at our
manufacturing facility in Hungary positions us to capture this growth.”
Alcoa’s new Dura-Bright EVO surface-treated wheel maintains all the
benefits of its predecessor, the Dura-Bright® wheel with XBR®
technology, while taking the wheel’s performance to a new level. The
Dura-Bright EVO surface-treated wheel is 10 times more resistant to
corrosion primarily caused by road salts and weather elements. In
addition, the wheel is up to three times more resistant to chemicals,
including hydrofluoric acid, found in the toughest truck wash cleaning
agents. This enables the use of a wider variety of cleaning solutions to
simplify maintenance, while preserving the integrity and brightness of
the wheel.
Construction on the production line expansion began in January 2014,
with completion expected in early 2015. It will create 35 new permanent
jobs and approximately 215 temporary jobs during construction. The
Hungarian Government will contribute US$4.4 million toward the
construction through its Regional Operative Program, a government-led
economic development initiative.
Commenting on the importance of Alcoa to the Hungarian economy, State
Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Péter
Szíjjártó, said, “One of the most important players of the
Hungarian-American economic cooperation’s success story is Alcoa,
bringing innovation-based, high added-value production into Hungary.”
“This expansion will add to Alcoa’s successful portfolio of Hungarian
businesses that produce value-added products for the automotive and
aerospace industries,” said Dr. Bela Forgo, Country Manager of Alcoa
Hungary. “We are pleased to grow our presence in Hungary, a country with
a highly skilled workforce and industrial policies supporting investment
and technological development.”
Unlike competitive surface coatings that can crack, peel, corrode and
dull quickly, the Dura-Bright surface-treated wheel allows brilliant
shine to last even after years of use, without the need for polishing.
Dura-Bright is not a coating, but rather a surface treatment that
penetrates the aluminum and becomes an integral part of the wheel.
Regular cleaning with commonly used truck cleaning products or with just
soap and water will keep the wheels shiny, even after hundreds of washes
and thousands of kilometers, reducing maintenance costs. In addition,
Alcoa’s wheels are made from one piece of forged aluminum, making them
lighter and five times stronger than steel wheels, increasing payload
and fuel efficiency.
Alcoa has been the forged aluminum wheel leader since inventing the
product in 1948. Alcoa Wheel Products is part of Alcoa’s value-add
businesses, comprising Engineered Products and Solutions and Global
Rolled Products. In 2013, Alcoa’s value-add businesses accounted for 57
percent of the Company’s total revenues and 80 percent of segment
after-tax operating income.
About Alcoa
A global leader in lightweight metals engineering and manufacturing,
Alcoa innovates multi-material solutions that advance our world. Our
technologies enhance transportation, from automotive and commercial
transport to air and space travel, and improve industrial and consumer
electronics products. We enable smart buildings, sustainable food and
beverage packaging, high-performance defense vehicles across air, land
and sea, deeper oil and gas drilling and more efficient power
generation. We pioneered the aluminum industry over 125 years ago, and
today, our 60,000 people in 30 countries deliver value-add products made
of titanium, nickel and aluminum, and produce best-in-class bauxite,
alumina and primary aluminum products. For more information, visit www.alcoa.com,
follow @Alcoa on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Alcoa
and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Alcoa.
About Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products
Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products (AWTP), headquartered in
Cleveland, Ohio, is part of Alcoa’s downstream business, Engineered
Products and Solutions. AWTP serves the commercial vehicle, automotive
and defense markets with products used in a range of applications
including forged aluminum wheels, premium products such as Dura-Bright®,
Dura-Flange®, LvL ONE® and M-Series™ medium duty
truck wheels, as well as a variety of other aluminum components for
these markets. AWTP is composed of three divisions: Commercial Vehicle
Wheels, Forged Specialty Wheels and Transportation Products. Alcoa Wheel
Products Europe is headquartered in Székesfehérvár, Hungary. Alcoa
manufactures forged aluminum wheels for trucks, trailers and buses in
Europe. More information can be found at www.alcoawheels.com.
Follow @AlcoaWheels on Twitter at twitter.com/AlcoaWheels.
About Hungarian Investment and Trade Agency (HITA)
HITA was established by the Hungarian Government to promote the
international business activities of Hungarian enterprises and to
encourage foreign businesses to invest in Hungary. The most important
relations of the Hungarian Investment and Trade Agency are focused, in
line with the Széchenyi Plan and the foreign trading strategy, on
retaining Hungary’s traditional export markets as well as on gaining a
foothold on new dynamically growing markets.
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Alcoa
Investor Contact:
Kelly Pasterick, + 1 212-836-2674
Kelly.Pasterick@alcoa.com
or
Media Contact:
Christa Bowers, + 1 212-836-2605
Christa.Bowers@alcoa.com
or
Alcoa Europe
Jasper van Zon, + 31 (0) 416 300 350
Jaspervan.Zon@alcoa.com