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Williamsport aluminum plant becoming a leading domestic supplier

This time of year, especially, and through the holiday season the candy wrappers are being unfoiled by eager fingers.

Well, not many people may realize it, but much of that super-thin aluminum is manufactured in Williamsport.

It is done at Chance Aluminum, 2457 Trenton Ave. The business operates out of its 274,000-square-foot facility on Trenton Avenue, which is easily accessible from two entry points in Newberry and the western edge of the city.

The aluminum rolling mill was among the industries selected on the industrial tours sponsored by the Innovative Manufacturers Center (IMC).

That tour, during National Manufacturing Month, offered members from the IMC, SEDA-Council of Governments, Pennsylvania College of Technology workforce development, federal and state legislators' staff, the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Jason Fink and the news media a chance to see the aluminum rolling process and hear about the opportunity for those seeking employment with the industry.

Inside the spacious manufacturing floors, those wrappers and other everyday products such as yogurt lids, condiment seals and kitchen aluminum foil are produced by a team of skilled laborers -- about 66 in all, according to Corrina Schaefer, who is with the company's human resources and administration department. She was joined by Anthony Stroup, the plant's operations manager.

Let it roll, baby, roll

Much of the aluminum that is used for multiple household products and those yummy sweet treats is made here.

But the plant's capabilities go far beyond that – with aluminum honeycomb materials used in the aerospace industry and a massive facility with a domestic casting mill under development at a facility along Route 15 in southern Lycoming County.

The company is expanding into new markets, including street signs, gutters, and trailers.

During the tour, visitors were equipped with hard hats, safety glasses and ear plugs.

They got to see what was a meticulous process involved in milling, slitting (cutting) and baking of the metal materials.

Stroup spent a good deal of time explaining a cutting-edge tension leveler line that has revolutionized the common alloy production process by significantly enhancing flatness, malleability (which is a description of a substance's ability to deform, flatten, or bend under compressive stress, such as rolling, hammering, or pressing without breaking or cracking), and surface quality of metal (as well as offering a coil washing option), thereby ensuring superior coil performance for meeting the highest industry standards.

One of the fascinating aspects at the plant is the consistent commitment to repurposing and reusing scrap and aluminum materials that don't quite make the grade for the customer specifications.

Testing done

Painstaking effort is made to ensure the highest quality product goes out to include inspection for pinholes, and lab tests done for tension, yield, elongation and thickness to meet the needs of customers specific requirements.

The tour demonstrated the different types of mills, including "breakout mills and finishing mills," and the ovens.

The plant has four mills in total: two breakout mills and two finishing mills. The breakout mills reduce aluminum to a gauge (thickness) that the finishing mills can handle.

The finishing mills then continue the rolling process to achieve the final gauge required by the customer.

Chance Aluminum has six ovens in total, including two that are new this year.

A process known as annealing is an important part of their aluminum production process.

"Our ovens heat the aluminum to soften it, relieve internal stress, and restore flexibility that may be lost during rolling, bending, or shaping," Schaefer said. "As aluminum passes through our mills, it can become harder and less flexible," Schaefer said, as also was explained by Stroup.

By applying controlled heat, the annealing process changes the aluminum's internal structure, making it easier to roll, bend, and form further without cracking.

Annealing also helps prepare the aluminum for applications where flexibility and the ability to crinkle are important. Additionally, the heating process helps remove residual oils left behind from the rolling process.

Filling a niche in a competitive market

Chance Aluminum, quite simply, has become a leading domestic supplier of quality common alloy and foil for its parent company, AA Metals, Inc., an Orlando-based global master metal distributor.

Chance Aluminum opened its doors in 2021 after acquiring the property from the shuttered JW Aluminum plant.

That transition allowed many local manufacturing workers to safely transition into a steady, family-sustaining career path and was celebrated – especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, Chance Aluminum offers employers family-sustaining wages and a "chance" to experience what it is like to be involved in a business that will have additional job opportunities as it expands its services as a new facility is under development along nearby Route 15 in southern Lycoming County.

The expansion is expected to bring 300 to 400 new high-paying jobs to the region and the site will act as an extension of their existing footprint.

In terms of safety for employees, the company takes pride in its strong commitment to its employees through various activities, ensuring safety on the mill and shop floors. Before the tour started, visitors were told not to stray away from a red-painted path.

The Chance Aluminum team expressed how they were interested in prospective employees, including those right out of high school for training and internship and those with manufacturing skills and who lean on an educational background in manufacturing.

Among the in-house job opportunities include a variety of positions such as training on forklift and cranes and booms and working on the mills, Schaefer said.

Most of the credit for the production and innovative equipment went to Dr. Jack Cheng, founder, president and CEO of AA Metals, who began his career as a researcher but quickly transitioned to an entrepreneur and visionary leader.

Dr. Cheng is said to empower employees to push the status quo as he drives the company to become a global leader in metal manufacturing and distribution.

In 2003, Dr. Cheng launched AA Metals from his home office in Lexington, Kentucky, with just $600 savings in the bank.

Today, AA Metals remains a rapidly expanding global aluminum manufacturing and distribution leader with 500 employees and $1.2 billion in revenue.

AA Metals serves more than 500 customers around the world, providing 500 million pounds of aluminum and steel per year, with a global supply network in Asia, South America, Europe and the Middle East.

Additionally, Dr. Cheng has acquired multiple aluminum manufacturing and processing facilities in the United States, Turkey and Colombia, as well as operation centers in China and Germany.