Aug 14 2006
Alcan’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Richard B. Evans, and Queensland’s Premier, the Honourable Peter Beattie, today inaugurated the Company’s Australian headquarters in Brisbane. The inaugural event was attended by a cross-section of business and industry leaders, key government representatives and Alcan senior management, including Alcan Bauxite and Alumina’s Jacynthe Côté (President and Chief Executive Officer) and Kurt Thurnherr (President of Pacific Operations).
“At Alcan, forging strong partnerships is key to doing things the right way,” said Richard Evans. “This inauguration recognizes the vital role that Queensland and Australia are increasingly playing in the Company’s international portfolio and business strategy. Alcan is proud of its forty year relationship with Australia, which today represents its largest capital base outside of Canada,” he added.
Premier Peter Beattie congratulated Alcan on its contribution to the mining industry and the state’s economy. “I would like to acknowledge Alcan for its ongoing and substantial commitment to Queensland,” Premier Beattie said. “Directly employing over 700 people in the state, Alcan is also securing further growth in the mineral resources industry,” he added.
“From our Brisbane base, Alcan is focussed on growing its current business and seizing new opportunities in Australia and across the Asia Pacific region,” said Jacynthe Côté.
“Alcan looks forward to its continued partnerships with governments, communities, industry, Traditional Owners and others to support economic, environmental and social development of Queensland and Australia,” said Kurt Thurnherr.
The event also featured an art exhibition of Australian and Canadian art, titled ‘pARTnerships’, which was uniquely conceived for the inaugural event.
Alcan has been part of Australia’s aluminium industry since 1967 and its Australian operations play a critical role in the Company’s international portfolio. Australia is now Alcan’s major capital base outside of Canada, contributing 60 percent of Alcan’s global alumina production and employing more than 3,500 people around the country. These interests include the Gove alumina refinery in the Northern Territory (100 percent ownership), Queensland Alumina Limited (41.4 percent), the Tomago aluminium smelter in New South Wales (51.5 percent) and bauxite reserves in the Northern Territory and North Queensland.