A large fire at the Novelis aluminum plant in Oswego County last month will likely disrupt business at Ford and other auto manufacturers for the next several months.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Novelis plant in Scriba supplies nearly 40% of the aluminum sheet used by Ford and other manufacturers. Ford is the plant’s biggest customer, and one of the biggest users of aluminum. Ford’s F-150 pickup truck, the top selling vehicle in the nation, uses aluminum for its exterior.
Company officials said the September 16 fire at the Scriba plant began in the hot mill area, which is where the aluminum sheet used by auto manufacturers is made. More than two dozen fire departments and 175 firefighters were needed to contain the three-alarm fire, which caused heavy damage, including a partially collapsed roof.
Novelis, which is based in Atlanta, said the damaged part of the plant is expected to be offline until early next year. Ford stock fell nearly 7% Tuesday after the news.
According to the WSJ, India’s Hindalco Industries, which owns Novelis, will use some if it’s plant’s overseas to supply aluminum to customers in the U.S. But the Trump administration recently imposed a 50% tariff on imported aluminum.
Novelis is one of Oswego County’s largest employers, with more than 1,000 workers at the Scriba facility.