Aluminum Association Adds New Members

The Aluminum Association (Arlington, VA) has announced the addition of three new member companies: Heiche Group US Surface Technology, Phinix, and Walter Surface Technologies. The firms join as associate members that supply the North American aluminum industry with goods and services.

These new member additions come at a time of continued demand growth for aluminum. According to recent preliminary Aluminum Association data, the North American aluminum industry shipped an estimated 25.5 billion lb of aluminum in 2014, the most since 2006. More recent data shows 3.1 percent year-over-year demand growth through April 2015. From the 2009 baseline, demand for the metal in the U.S. and Canada has risen by nearly 40 percent.

“We’re excited to welcome these new member companies to the Aluminum Association,” said Heidi Brock, the president and chief executive officer of the Aluminum Association. “Our associate members bring a unique perspective to our work and help us to serve the broader industry.”

The new member additions include:

• Heiche Group US Surface Technology LP (Spartanburg, SC) is a German family-owned company that was founded in 1965. In 2013 Heiche established its new U.S. headquarters and process center in Spartanburg. The company specializes in surface treatments and coatings for light metals such as anodizing, passivation, chromate conversion, e-coating and Nano coating
• Phinix, LLC (Lexington, KY) provides research, development and consulting services in the areas of process and product development, recycling and energy & carbon management for metals and materials, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, rare earths and composites. The company was founded by Dr. Subodh Das in September 2008 and utilizes his 40 plus years of experience working in the global aluminum industry.
• Walter Surface Technologies (Windsor, CT) has been a leader in surface treatment technologies for more than 60 years, and provides high productivity abrasives, power tools, tooling, chemical solutions and environmental solutions for the metal working industry. Founded in 1952, Walter Surface Technologies is now established in 7 countries in North America, South America and Europe.

Since 2013, Aluminum Association member companies have announced domestic plant expansions and planned investment totaling more than $2.3 billion. The increase in investment is intended to capture and meet anticipated demand growth for aluminum in the automotive sector as automakers strive to make lighter and more fuel-efficient vehicles. The investments announced to date could increase industry auto sheet capacity by more than 2 billion pounds over the next decade.

The new company additions bring total membership to 104 member companies, a record for the 82-year-old trade association.

www.aluminum.org