Novelis aluminium plant, the erstwhile Alcan's Kingston Works, marks 75 years in the city

From Alcan's Kingston Works to Novelis Inc., the aluminum manufacturing plant is celebrating 75 years in the Limestone City.

"I think in the heyday there was 4,100 to 4,200 employees, three plants," recounted Jake Czyz, Novelis plant manager. "We pretty much say everybody in Kingston knows somebody who has retired or worked here at the plants."

The Aluminum Company of Canada plant was built in 1940 to support the Allied effort during the Second World War. The plant -- referred to as "the annex" -- housed manufacturing and research facilities. During the 1960s and 1970s, the plant was responsible for the research and manufacturing of aluminum sheet metal, cans and supplies for major industries such as automotive, transportation, beverage and packaging.

Today, Novelis, a subsidiary of the Aditya Birla Group, has 25 operating facilities on four continents with approximately 11,500 employees. The Kingston location employs approximately 275 people and creates aluminum products for Ford, BMW, Mercedes, General Motors, Thyssen Krupp and Peterbilt.

Novelis Inc. CEO, former CFO Steve Fisher said on the occasion, "That's a huge growth market for Novelis. We're seeing close to 25% annual growth in substitution for other materials to aluminum in automobiles over the next decade,"

To mark the anniversary Novelis hosted a ceremony at Fort Henry with retirees, current employees and local dignitaries. "It's really an opportunity for past and present employees to get together and have a formal union for the 75th," Czyz said.