Alcoa (NYSE: AA (http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=AA)) is an Americancompany and one of the largest producers of aluminum.
In 1894, Pittsburgh Reduction Company was established. This company changed its name to Aluminum Company of America in 1907. By 1929, the name Alcoa had become a popular abbreviation—from the name of a company town set up in East Tennessee—but it was not until January of 1999 that Alcoa became the company's official name. The company's non-aluminum products include consumer products, fiber-optic cables, food service and flexible packaging products, and plastic closures. Major markets include the aerospace, automotive, construction, and packaging industries. Alcoa has gained presence in China's aluminum market by forming a strategic alliance with Aluminum Corporation of China (Chalco).
Paul O'Neill was chairman and CEO of Alcoa from 1987 to 1999, and retired as chairman at the end of 2000. In the early years of his chairmanship, O'Neill disbanded the Alcoa political action committee and fired many of the top level executives. O'Neill then instituted policies requiring all executives to post their weekly schedules publicly. Nearly all interoffice memos became available to all employees and staff meetings began to take place in lunchrooms. In 1990, when the United States Chamber of Commerce was critical of presidentGeorge H. W. Bush's stance on increasing taxes, O'Neill pulled Alcoa out of the Chamber.
Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum, and alumina and is active in all major aspects of the industry.
Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation, and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production, and other capabilities of Alcoa’s businesses as a single solution to customers.
Alcoa makes a very sustainable product: almost 70% of the aluminum ever produced is still in use, equaling 480 million metric tons (529 million tons) of a total 690 million metric tons (761 million tons) manufactured since 1886.
Since Alcoa is dealing with small towns, it has even tried using its size to bully around local governments; they said that if they are not granted their permits, their lawyers claim they will file a lawsuit for said amount.
Alcoa says that if it were forced to comply with state and national clean air laws, the alterations in equipment would be so expensive that the company would be forced to shut down the Rockdale plant; instead of doing this, they’ll keep the plant running and contaminate the area.
Alcoa has received much help from some federal and local agencies, like the EPA and TNRCC who seem to vacillate between helping the company and caring for the people and the environment, but Alcoa relies on politicians for the most help.
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