Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 115342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 163,844 pages of information and 245,954 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Alcoa

From Graces Guide

1888 Charles Martin Hall, with backing from Captain Alfred E. Hunt for his aluminium reduction process using electrolysis, incorporated The Pittsburgh Reduction Company and opened a pilot production facility on Smallman Street, Pittsburgh.

1891 The company moved its operations to New Kensington, PA, where it scaled up to produce aluminium ingots as well as fabricated aluminium products.

For many years, no other company in the world could match the breadth and depth of Alcoa's aluminium production.

1902 The Northern Aluminum Company, the Canadian subsidiary of the Pittsburgh Reduction Company, was founded.

1903 The engine block and crankcase of the engine used by the Wright Brothers were cast from aluminium supplied by The Pittsburgh Reduction Company.

1907 The Pittsburgh Reduction Company changed its name to The Aluminum Company of America (unofficially Alcoa)

1911 Introduced aluminium foil in America

1914 Acquired 700 acres of land in North Maryville, Tennessee and developed a company town and a smelting complex running on hydroelectricity.

1919 The town in North Maryville was incorporated under the name "Alcoa," which eventually became the unofficial name of the company.

1925 The Canadian Northern Aluminum Company was renamed Aluminum Company of Canada

1928 Alcoa had over half of the world capacity in primary aluminium. In June, the company transferred all international holdings, some 34 companies worldwide, to a new company called Aluminum Limited of Canada

Aluminum Company of Canada was separated from Aluminum Company of America.

1928 Alcoa pioneered aluminium windows with the installation of the first residential windows.

1998 The Aluminum Company of America officially changed its name to Alcoa

1998 Aquired Alumax

2000 merger with Reynolds Metals including its packaging and consumer products businesses, smelting operations, manufacturing operations serving the construction and transportation markets, and bauxite reserves in Brazil, Guyana and Guinea.

2000 Acquired Cordant Technologies, including Howmet Castings and Huck Fasteners. Howmet strengthened the company's position in high-performance jet engine blades, structural components and other superalloy castings. Huck was a pioneer and leader in the aerospace fastener industry.

2014 Acquired Firth Rixson, maker of jet engine components, which strengthened Alcoa's aerospace portfolio. The acquisition increased Alcoa's ability to offer isothermal and ring forgings made of nickel-based superalloys, titanium, stainless steel and advanced aluminium alloys.

2016 Split the company into two independent companies - the upstream one (Alcoa Corporation) comprised the Bauxite, Alumina, Aluminum, Casting and Energy business units, as well as the rolling mills. The fabrication business ('Arconic) included Global Rolled Products, Engineered Products and Solutions, and Transportation and Construction Solutions.

See Also

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Sources of Information

  • RioTintoAlcan website [1]
  • [2] Alcoa history