New Members Join Aluminum Association Executive Committee

Senior Executives from Rio Tinto, Constellium to Provide Strategic Industry Guidance

ARLINGTON, VA. – The Aluminum Association announced today two new members to the Association’s Executive Committee – Buddy Stemple, Chief Executive Officer of Constellium Rolled Products and Gervais Jacques, Chief Commercial Officer at Rio Tinto Aluminium. A subset of the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee provides strategic guidance directing all Aluminum Association programs and activities. Stemple and Jacques will join a dozen senior executives from throughout the aluminum value chain who currently sit on the Association’s Executive Committee.

“Buddy and Gervais will be tremendous additions to the Association’s leadership team,” said Garney Scott, President & CEO of Scepter and Aluminum Association Chairman. “With decades of experience under their belts, they are well-suited to provide the direction the industry needs to help chart a sustainable future for the domestic aluminum market.”

The Aluminum Association will host its annual Spring Meeting later this month in Miami, FL April 18 – 20. The meeting theme is “Charting a Sustainable Course” and will focus on how the industry can best navigate the opportunities and challenges faced by aluminum producers, recyclers, fabricators and suppliers. To learn more or to register please visit www.aluminum.org/events.

According to the latest industry data, the North American aluminum industry shipped nearly 26 billion pounds of aluminum in 2015, the most since 2007. Since 2013, member companies have announced domestic plant expansions and planned investment totaling more than $2.6 billion to meet anticipated demand growth for aluminum in the automotive sector as automakers strive to make better-performing and more fuel-efficient vehicles.

However, challenges remain, particularly with an oversupply of high-carbon aluminum coming from China. Since the beginning of 2015, eight U.S.-based aluminum smelters have curtailed or closed, representing 60 percent of U.S. primary aluminum capacity and impacting more than 3,000 workers. The Aluminum Association is committed to highlighting unfair and unsustainable trade practices to ensure the continued health of domestic and global markets. Recent actions include the initiation of an International Trade Commission investigation into the global marketplace, the launch of a new coalition – the Manufacturers for Trade Enforcement and testimony on industry overcapacity in front of the US Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce.   

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The Aluminum Association represents U.S. and foreign-based companies and their suppliers throughout the value chain, from primary production to value added products to recycling.  The Association is the industry’s leading voice, providing global standards, business intelligence, sustainability research and industry expertise to member companies, policymakers and the general public. The aluminum industry helps manufacturers produce sustainable and innovative products, including more fuel efficient vehicles, recyclable packaging, greener buildings and modern electronics.  In the U.S., the aluminum industry creates $152 billion in economic activity. For more information visit www.Aluminum.org, on Twitter @AluminumNews or at Facebook.com/AluminumAssociation.