By NOEL MURPHY
ALCOA is buying up in the aerospace industry and in Ford – two industries once deemed the future of Geelong — as it this week ends its 51-year local association, sacking 250 staff from its Point Henry rolling plant.
In a bitter pill for the 750 workers in total laid off at its Point Henry operations, Alcoa’s global mothership has invested heavily in aluminium Ford vehicles in the US and has now taken over German aerospace manufacturer Tital.
Tital, an industry leader in aluminium and titanium structural casings for aircraft casings and airframes, is seen as the next step by Alcoa CEO Klaus Kleinfeld in the company building a powerful aerospace growth engine.
Aerospace and car manufacturing were long cited as spearheading the future of Geelong manufacturing.
But 800 Qantas maintenance sackings at Avalon, ongoing sackings at Ford’s North Geelong plant together with Alcoa’s closure today have laid waste to those ambitions.
Alcoa recently announced a $US575 million expansion of its production plants in Iowa and Tennessee to meet demand under long-term auto contracts with Ford.
Ford, which cut 300 jobs at Geelong and Broadmeadows this year and which will axe another 500 by 2016, hopes to bolster its fortunes with its new lightweight aluminium F-150 pick-up – the highest-selling vehicle in North America.
At 300kg lighter than the normal steel-framed model, the new F-150 is tipped to propel sales because of its enhanced fuel efficiency.
Reports have also pointed to Alcoa competitor Novelis commissioning two new automotive sheet lines in New York and China. But the aluminium company has told the Independent the new lightweight cars deal will have no ramifications for Australia.
Alcoa’s last 250 Geelong workers face an uncertain Christmas, today farewelling the aluminium plant’s rolled products division.
As for Geelong’s erstwhile aerospace ambitions, it is interesting to note Qantas, despite an encouraging financial turnaround recently, last week fielding adverse publicity over flights turned about to various issues – ostensibly related to maintenance.
