Alcoa (NYSE:AA) announced today that it has won a contract to supply 5XXX-series alloy sheet and plate through 2014 for all AUSTAL USA vessels, including commercial ships and U.S. Navy ships such as the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) and all future platforms.
“We are pleased that Austal, the world’s premier aluminum shipbuilder, has selected Alcoa aluminum for its next-generation naval vessels,” said David Dobson, president, Alcoa Defense. “In the past three years, we have established Alcoa Defense as the leading provider of aluminum products and design services that reduce weight and enhance the performance of Navy ships.”
The marine sheet and plate will be produced at Alcoa’s Davenport (Iowa) Works. In addition to supplying marine sheet and plate for military vessels, Alcoa also will supply products for Austal’s commercial vessels. The materials will be provided through Pierce Aluminum, Austal’s chosen service center for management of sheet and plate logistics.
“One of the reasons Austal selected Alcoa aluminum for this critical supply contract is the unmatched dimensional capabilities of our rolling mills – delivering the widest range of sizes available in the industry,” said Brian Pendrak, market manager of industrial products for Alcoa’s North American Rolled Products division, which is producing the materials.
Source: www.alcoa.com