Thursday, May 31, 2012
Company and Santee Cooper staying at the table for long-term fix.
Alcoa and Santee Cooper have agreed to delay a contract deadline a full year while the two sides hash out a power bill compromise. The news provides some relief for the 600 plant workers worried about the fate of the local site. The aluminum manufacturer said in August that it needed an affordable power rate or the facility would close. The contract runs through December 2015, and Alcoa had until June to give notice if it decided not to renew. They now have until June 2013. Plant manager Mike Rousseau said the agreement pushed the deadline down the road, but he's hopeful for a new contract sooner rather than later. "The extension provides additional time for both sides," he said. In September, Alcoa launched a public relations campaign, …
Monday, January 9, 2012
Final list of closing sites doesn't include local facility.
The local Alcoa facility in Goose Creek is safe for now after a new list of closing sites focused on Europe. After a round of U.S. closings released last Thursday, the aluminum production company announced Monday that it would cut operations at three more sites. Operations impacted included Alcoa, Tenn., and Rockdale, Texas, as well as two sites in Spain and one in Italy. In all, Alcoa is reducing 12 percent of the company's global smelting capacity between the two announcements. But there is a warning in the reason Alcoa selected these facilities for closure. "An uncompetitive energy position, combined with rising raw material costs and falling aluminum prices, led to the planned curtailment of the facilities," according to a company-…
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Governor bringing attention to utility rate dispute.
Governor Nikki Haley toured the Alcoa plant in Goose Creek on Thursday afternoon and met with employees and their families, bringing attention to a rate dispute with utility provider Santee Cooper. The aluminium production plant rang the alarm in August that Alcoa needed an affordable power bill or it would close the plant. In September, Alcoa launched a public relations campaign, telling local press that the company provides $110 million in state and local revenue and has a $900 million economic impact in the state. The calls for help on Thursday didn't just come from the plant managers. Employees talked about the success they've had since they began work at Alcoa. "It gave me an opportunity right out of high school," said Randy Davis, …
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Governor supports plant in utility rate dispute.
Gov. Nikki Haley has scheduled a tour at Alcoa's Goose Creek plant Thursday afternoon. Haley has pledged her support for the company in a utility rate dispute with power provider Santee Cooper. The aluminium production plant rang the alarm in August that Alcoa needed an affordable power bill or it would close the plant. In September, Alcoa launched a public relations campaign, telling local press that the company provides $110 million in state and local revenue. The contract with Santee Cooper runs through December 2015. Alcoa has until next June to give notice that it won't renew the contract. At a Haley town hall event in Charleston last month, the governor told Alcoa employees and supporters that South Carolina values the plant. "I do …
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Plant launches public relations push to combat power bill spike.
Local aluminum manufacturer Alcoa reiterated its threat Wednesday to pull out of the Lowcountry if the major employer doesn't get a break on its power bill with Santee Cooper. The company invited media outlets out to the Mt. Holly site to discuss the economic impact of the facility. ABC News 4 reports that 600 jobs are on the line. The Post and Courier broke down some more numbers offered by Alcoa: the plant supports 4,000 jobs in the state at an average pay of $91,000 a year, providing $110 million in state and local revenue. Last month, the company went public with its concern about a rate hike. Santee Cooper spokeswoman Laura Varn told Patch on Wednesday that the power supplier is continuing negotiations with the company and that there …
