New plant 'game changing,' 'transformative'

PINEVILLE – Central Louisiana met some of the people who plan to build a "game-changing," $2.4 billion plant complex in Pineville Wednesday.

Executives from American Specialty Alloys and some of its partners spoke to a packed room at Kees Park Community Center. ASA is leading the aluminum manufacturing project that is expected to create more than 1,400 jobs.

"This will be a game-changing mill," said Robert Craig, president of Columbus Recycling, which will source raw materials for the ASA mill and provide other support services. "It will revolutionize the automotive manufacturing industry in the next decade."

"The impact on all of Central Louisiana, really, will be remarkable," said Jim Clinton, president and chief executive officer of Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance. "On the immediate area, it will be transformative."

ASA announced on Feb. 20 that it had selected the former site of International Paper's Pineville mill as the location for its first production facility manufacturing aluminum alloy for the automotive and aerospace industries.

Along with ASA, several other companies providing support services for the mill are expected to locate on a campus that could be as big as 3,000 acres. Together, the companies are expected to employ more than 1,400 people. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will create an additional 2,600 indirect jobs.

The initial announcement came after ASA's decision was reported in the media, and before local, state and company officials had planned the unveiling of the project.

Wednesday, which had been planned as an announcement, instead became a welcome to ASA and its partners. It drew a standing room only crowd.

"It's encouraging to see the community so excited about this project," said Pineville Mayor Clarence Fields. "This crowd expressed it all, the feeling in Central Louisiana and in Pineville about this happening here."

"These are really, really, really good jobs," Clinton said. "We would have been thrilled with a project one-third this size, so you can imagine how we feel about this."

Roger Boggs, founder and chief executive officer of ASA, said his company saw "the promise of opportunity" in Louisiana.

"This day is the beginning of a great future," he said.

To sign up for information about future job opportunities associated with the project, visit

http://www.asametalslouisianajobs.com/

The site is also available by link on CLEDA's website (www.centrallouisiana.org).