Hydro Extrusions North America’s Cressona facility was awarded the top performing plant in the company for the 2018 year.
Plant manager Mike Hammer accepted the award at Hydro Extruded Solutions’ annual management conference, held this year in Denmark.
“This recognition is a remarkable achievement that is a credit to all our employees,” says Hammer. “The Cressona plant has been a mainstay in our local community for decades and we’re proud that our efforts here support a global company like Hydro.”
The Cressona plant is largest extrusion operation in the U.S., making extruded products for industries which include construction, automotive, transportation and energy. Hydro employs nearly 1,200 people at the plant and is one of the largest employers in Schuylkill County.
The plant is a recognized supplier to the automotive industry, working with top tier suppliers and global OEMs – including Ford Motor Company— which use aluminum to make vehicles lighter in an effort to improve fuel efficiency and range. In 2017, the plant received Ford’s Q1 supplier award for excellence in quality, service and on-time delivery. Hydro was the first company in the aluminum extrusion industry to receive the award.
As part of its continued investment in the Cressona facility, in 2018, Hydro committed to a $100 million expansion of the plant—inclusive of a 96,000 square foot addition adjacent to current operations and a state-of-the-art aluminum press to help meet increasing demand for extruded products. Completion of the new addition is expected by yearend.
“I’d like to thank the entire team in Cressona for their work. They deserve this award,” says Egil Hogna, executive vice president responsible for Hydro Extruded Solutions. “The local team there has demonstrated that it’s best-in-class and a true industry leader.”