The interior of Alcoa's new aluminum-lithium plant in Lafayette. The plant is the world's largest aluminum-lithium plant where it produces advanced, third-generation aluminum-lithium alloys for the aerospace industry. (Photo Provided)
The world's largest production plant for light alloy materials for the aerospace industry opens its doors today in Lafayette.
Alcoa's new $100-million, 115,000-square-foot plant will produce more than 44 million pounds of aluminum-lithium for the production of airplanes, according to the manufacturer.
It's also being touted as a job creator, adding 75 new positions.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp., the city of Lafayette and Tippecanoe County provided various tax incentives totaling more than $6 million for the project to come together.
"It's the largest facility of its kind in the world," said Holly Gilham, a spokeswoman for the Indiana Economic Development Corp.
"The future of aviation is bieng built with aluminum-lithium," Klaus Klenifeld, chairman and CEO of Alcoa, said in a statement. "This state-of-the-art facility positions Alcoa as the world's premier supplier."
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