Alcoa

Alcoa Corporation (an acronym for "Aluminum Company of America") is an American industrial corporation that produces aluminum. According to industry rankings, it is among the largest producers globally. The company operates in 10 countries and is involved in mining, refining, smelting, fabricating, and recycling aluminum products.

Alcoa was founded in 1888 by Charles Martin Hall with the financial backing of Alfred E. Hunt and Arthur Vining Davis. Prior to its establishment, aluminum was difficult to refine and, as a result, was more expensive than silver or gold. In 1886, Hall discovered the Hall–Héroult process, a refining technique that reduced aluminum production costs. Hall approached Hunt and Davis to form a company to bring his process to market; the three founded Alcoa as the Pittsburgh Reduction Company, which expanded. Hunt died in 1898 after fighting in the Spanish–American War. The company changed its name to the Aluminum Company of America in 1907. Alcoa increased production by 40% during World War I and supplied aluminum during World War II.

In the 2000s, Alcoa purchased numerous competitors, including Reynolds Group Holdings (makers of Reynolds Wrap). On November 1, 2016, Alcoa Inc. split into two entities: a new one called Alcoa Corporation, which is engaged in the mining and manufacture of raw aluminum, and the renaming of Alcoa Inc. to Arconic Inc., which processes aluminum and other metals. Alcoa has been criticized for its lax environmental record, but it no longer ranks highly as one of the worst polluters in the United States.