Novelis breaks ground on aluminum plant in Kentucky

Atlanta-based aluminum producer Novelis Inc. has officially broken ground on its $300 million automotive aluminum sheet manufacturing facility in Guthrie, Kentucky. The 400,000-square-foot facility will have an estimated annual capacity of 200,000 metric tons and is expected to be operational by 2020.

“The increased adoption of aluminum in cars, trucks and SUVs, coupled with more automotive manufacturing plants in the Southeast, makes Guthrie a strategic location to serve our customers,” says Steve Fisher, president and CEO of Novelis.

“With the strong, highly skilled workforce in Kentucky, we believe our culture and commitment to building a sustainable world together will have a lasting and positive impact on this community,” he adds.

The company, which announced its decision to build the plant in January 2018, partially credits the late 2017 federal tax reform package as providing an incentive to build the plant.

Novelis also says key contracts totaling $60 million will be invested for engineering plans, site preparation and equipment for the greenfield facility. The facility will include heat treatment and pretreatment lines, which prepare aluminum for use in vehicle parts such as body-in-white, hoods, doors, lift gates and fenders.

Paul Banks, a 25-year veteran of the aluminum rolling industry, will oversee the project as plant manager. Banks previously served as unit manager at Logan Aluminum, a Novelis joint venture in Russellville, Kentucky.