Alcoa confirms plans for Romania

US giant Alcoa, the world’s largest aluminium producer, confirmed its plans for new investment in western Romania, separate from its two existing production lines. Details of the investment are to be released at the end of the month.

The factory will become operational in Arad County by the second quarter of 2005 and will employ around 200 people. It will operate two aluminium processing lines, the finished products from which will go to the construction industry.

Alcoa’s officials stated early this year that their decision to build the facility in Romania came mainly as a result of the good cooperation they experienced with the authorities and business people in the Arad area.

The Alcoa representatives did not disclose the value of the investment, but estimates on the Romanian aluminium market put it at 4-5 million dollars.

Alcoa is opening the aluminium product facility that will supply the construction industry in order to capitalise on the growth in the constructions market in Central and Eastern Europe. The group has established a similar facility in Hungary, and a total of 12 such units in Europe.

Through its Alcoa Fujikura division the company owns two units in Romania for the assembly of automotive wiring systems. Alcoa Fujikura’s investment in the two factories located close to Chisineu Cris and in Caransebes amounts to 3.4 million euros.

Alcoa is one of the largest industrial groups in the world and is almost completely integrated. It is involved in alumina and aluminium production and aluminium processing for the aerospace, automobile, packaging, construction and automotive components industries. It created 21.3 billion dollars in revenues last year. Its main competitors worldwide are Ruschii Aluminium (Russia), the world’s second largest producer, Alcan (Canada) and Pechiney (France).

alexandru.cerchez@zf.ro