Alcoa 2000 Annual Report Download - page 24

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Focas Ltd. and Focas, Inc., with opera-
tions in Swindon, U.K. and Alpharetta, Ga.,
respectively, adding to AFL’s worldwide
product line for aerial applications.
AtPac, headquartered in Salem, Va., build-
ing on AFL’s family of engineer, furnish,
and install (EF&I) companies.
Aster, part of Thomas & Betts Corporation,
operating out of Attleboro, Mass., offering
splitters, couplers, and cable assemblies for
OEM and optical systems suppliers.
…AND DIVESTITURES
In approving Alcoa’s acquisition of
Reynolds Metals, the U.S. Dept. of Justice
and the European Commission called for
divestiture of certain Reynolds assets:
Worsley in Australia. Alcoa completed
the sale of Reynolds Australia Alumina, Ltd.
LLC, which holds a 56% interest in the
Worsley alumina refinery, to an affiliate of
Billiton plc. The price was US$1.49 billion.
Alcoa had acquired its stake in Worsley as
part of the Reynolds acquisition.
Sherwin in Texas. Sale of the
1.6-million-mtpy Sherwin alumina refinery
in Texas was completed December 31.
The buyer was BPU Reynolds Inc., a private
investment company based in Atlanta, Ga.
Longview in Washington. In late
December, agreement was reached for sale of
the 204,000-mtpy smelter in Longview, Wash.
to Michigan Avenue Partners. Alcoa was
required to sell a 25% interest in Longview.
The agreement is contingent on financing
and subject to regulatory approvals.
Stade, Germany. Negotiations are in
progress regarding the sale of the 50% stake
that Reynolds held in this German refinery.
Baco Joins Alcoa Consumer
Products. Privately held Baco Consumer
Products, Ltd. has become part of Alcoa’s
Consumer Products business based in
Richmond, Va. Baco is the U.K.’s leading
supplier of household wraps, including alu-
minum foil, plastic bags, clingfilm, and bin
liners. It augments the expertise, markets,
and global presence of the consumer prod-
ucts business that became part of Alcoa
with the Reynolds acquisition.
Growth in Automotive Fasteners.
Alcoa acquired the assets of Midwest
Fastener Corporation, a privately held
company with manufacturing locations in
South Holland, Ill. and Valparaiso, Ind. Its
product line is complementary with Alcoa’s
growing automotive fastener business.
Buildup in Fiber Optics. Positioning
itself as a complete systems supplier in the
dramatic growth of fiber optics for telecom-
munications, Alcoa Fujikura Ltd. (AFL)
completed four acquisitions in 2000:
Noyes Fiber Systems, based in Belmont,
N.H., a manufacturer of fiber optic test and
measurement equipment.
Mike Williams, Runcorn, UK
segments will add significant capacity to
the private label business of Alcoa
Consumer Products.
Foil and Cans in Brazil. Alcoa
Aluminio has purchased Itaipava Embalagens
Flexivers Ltda. Itaipava converts some 12,000
annual mt of aluminum into foil, principally
for consumer products packaging. It’s Alcoa’s
second expansion within a year in Brazil’s
aluminum packaging sector. The merger with
Reynolds in May included Reynolds’ 35%
share in Latasa, Brazil’s largest aluminum
beverage can producer.
Closures Technology. Two acquisi-
tions in 2000 augmented the breadth of
technology and market reach for Alcoa
Closure Systems International (CSI). It
acquired MCG Closures Ltd., with plants
in England and Italy and a distribution
center in the Netherlands. The purchase
of Southern Plastics of Kilgore, Texas, adds
injection molding technology and access to
important food and personal care markets.
Jeanine White, Alcoa Center, Pennsylvania, USA