ALCOA TO RE-POSITION DOWNSTREAM OPERATIONS
05 August 2007 - Alcoa

Following an extensive review of its downstream operations, Alcoa has a letter of intent with Orkla ASA’s SAPA Group to create a joint venture that would combine its soft alloy extrusion business with Sapa’s Profiles extruded aluminum business, with the intention of eventually offering an IPO of the combined entity.

Alcoa’s soft alloy extrusion business has 22 facilities in eight countries and approximately 6,400 employees. In 2005, total soft alloy extrusion shipments were approximately 585,000 metric tons and revenues were approximately $2.1 billion. Sapa’s Profiles business has 18 facilities in 12 countries and approximately 6,000 employees. It had 2005 shipments of 275,000 metric tons and revenues of $1.3 billion.

Alcoa will continue to operate its hard alloy extrusion business which serves the aerospace, automotive, and selected other markets. Separately, Alcoa will begin the process to divest the three soft alloy facilities not included in the joint venture located in Warren, OH; Tifton, GA; and Plant City, FL.

“After reviewing a number of options, we have decided the best course to further strengthen our downstream operations and maximize shareowner returns is to combine the soft alloy operations of these two businesses,” said Alcoa Chairman and CEO Alain Belda.

“The combination of these two operations provides many opportunities to improve profitability by leveraging the scale of a broader global manufacturing system,” said Belda.

“Our overall downstream operations have continued to improve their financial performance the past few years. We have leading positions in key flat-rolled product segments where we have grown 14 percent annually since 2002 and where we are also in a strong position to capture further growth in China and Russia,” added Belda. “Other downstream operations such as Alcoa Howmet and Alcoa Fastening Systems have improved profitability by more than 60 percent the past year. And our forgings, global building and construction and hard alloy extrusion businesses are solid performers. This move and our continued focus to continually maximize returns should serve our downstream operations well for the next several years.”

As part of the review of its overall downstream operations, Alcoa also plans a targeted restructuring program in order to further increase efficiency and profitability. The restructuring will encompass plant closings and consolidations that will affect approximately 6,700 positions across the company's global businesses during the next year. This program is expected to save approximately $125 million before taxes on an annualized basis.

Included in the restructuring are the following major components:

Flat Rolled Products
Restructuring of the company’s can sheet operations resulting in the elimination of approximately 320 positions, including the closure of the Swansea can sheet facility in the United Kingdom;
Conversion of the idled San Antonio, Texas rolling mill into a temporary flat rolled products technical facility serving Alcoa’s global FRP business.

Extruded and End Products
Optimization of the company's global hard alloy extrusion production operations serving the aerospace, automotive and industrial products markets, resulting in the elimination of approximately 370 positions in the U.S. and Europe.

Engineered Solutions
Restructuring and consolidation of the Company’s automotive and light vehicle wire harness and component operations, including the closure of the manufacturing operations of the AFL Seixal plant in Portugal and restructuring of the AFL light vehicle and component operations in the U.S. and Mexico affecting more than 4,800 positions.

Packaging and Consumer
Consolidation of selected operations within the company's global packaging production to increase productivity, resulting in the elimination of approximately 470 positions.

Primary Metals and Alumina
Reduction within the company’s global primary metals and alumina operations by approximately 330 positions to further strengthen the company’s position on the global cost curve.

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