Visit to Highlight the Role of Advanced Manufacturing in U.S. Job
Creation and Exports
NEW YORK–Alcoa (NYSE:AA) announced today that U.S. President Barack Obama will
tour its Davenport, Iowa, facility, one of the most advanced
manufacturing plants in the world, on Tuesday June 28. Originally opened
in 1948, the plant employs 2,000 people, and is a focal point of the
global aluminum industry, generating approximately 25 percent of its
revenues through exports.
Davenport is the manufacturing hub of Alcoa’s $3 billion aerospace
business and the world’s premier aerospace supply plant, producing
high-tech alloys and wings for all major aircraft, including Airbus’
A380, the world’s largest passenger plane, and Boeing’s 747-8 and 777.
“It is a true honor that President Obama has chosen to visit Alcoa in
Davenport, a great example of the high technical capabilities and
innovation that makes U.S. manufacturing strong,” said Alcoa Chairman
and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld.
Alcoa is at the forefront of American innovation, having developed 95
percent of all aerospace alloys ever created. This tradition continues
to this day, as Davenport will soon begin manufacturing with the
company’s newest aviation breakthrough, third-generation aluminum
lithium alloys that make planes lighter, corrosion resistant, and more
cost effective to manufacture.
In addition to aerospace, Alcoa Davenport also provides armor to the
defense market, lightweight solutions to the automotive sector, and
aluminum sheet for a wide-range of industrial uses.
“We have more jobs in Davenport today than before the crisis as we
capture growing global demand for innovative products. We welcome the
opportunity to share with the President our American manufacturing
success story,” Kleinfeld added.
About Alcoa Davenport
Opened in 1948, Alcoa Davenport is situated on the Mississippi River,
about seven miles from downtown Davenport, Iowa. The plant employs 2,000
people in high-tech aluminum sheet and plate manufacturing for the
aerospace, defense, automotive and building and construction markets,
and last year delivered revenues of $800 million. Alcoa has invested
more than $200 million over the past decade to maintain Davenport’s
position as the world’s premier aerospace supply plant. Davenport
remains the only facility that can manufacture airplane wings as a
monolithic structure, delivering enhanced structural integrity and
lighter weight aircraft, and today produces wings for almost all planes
made by Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer. The plant also produces
unique armor products for the U.S. military, including the Humvee and
MRAP, and delivers automotive solutions that are enabling lighter, more
fuel efficient automotive vehicles. Alcoa Davenport is at the forefront
of sustainability leadership, and recently became home to a pair of
American Bald Eagles and their baby – Freedom – whose progress has been
followed by hundreds of thousands via live webcam – www.alcoa.com/eaglecam.
For more information visit www.alcoa.com/davenport.
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary and fabricated
aluminum, as well as the world’s largest miner of bauxite and refiner of
alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry,
Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace,
automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial
transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the
past 120 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled
products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels,
fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building
systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as
titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral
part of Alcoa’s operating practices and the product design and
engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index for nine consecutive years and approximately
75 percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in
active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 59,000 people in 31
countries across the world. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.