Leading in high-performance aluminas Alteo

Alteo is the global leader in the development and manufacture of speciality industrial aluminas. Philip Yorke spoke to Diego Audemard, the company’s commercial director for the fused alumina business, about its new strategy for growth and its move into high-value niche markets.

LEADING IN HIGHPERFORMANCE ALUMINAS

Since Alteo was founded 120 years ago it has led the field in the production of aluminas for many of the world’s most successful manufacturing industries. Initially the company was part of Pechiney, before Alcan took it over and then more recently, Rio Tinto. However in 2012 Alteo was acquired by H.I.G. Capital Europe, a successful private equity group. Today as the world’s largest producer of non-metallurgical alumina, Alteo offers a unique range of speciality alumina products that range from commodity hydrates and special calcined aluminas to tabular and fused aluminas.

The consistent high quality of Alteo products has made it the supplier of choice for many of the world’s main industrial manufacturers. They rely on Alteo’s speciality aluminas for abrasives, ceramics, refractories, glass and flame retardants. There is a new sense of optimism at Alteo since H.I.G Capital acquired the company and it now employs more than 700 people worldwide and operates four state-of-the-art facilities in Europe. Three of these are situated in France.

The company’s flagship alumina refinery is located at Gardanne and its white fused alumina facility is based at La Bâthie, in the French Alps. Alteo’s brown fused alumina plant is also located in France at Beyrède, in the Pyrenees. The company’s fourth production facility is a tabular alumina plant, which is situated near Leipzeig in Germany at Teutschental. The Alteo Alumina Group is also supported by an extensive global network of 14 dedicated sales offices located in the main regional zones (Europe, North America and Asia) and 84 specialized agents and distributors.

Product diversity driving sales

Today Alteo is busy enhancing its future growth by embarking on a series of major investment programmes, particularly in relation to new product development and sustainability. The company’s latest investments in its R&D facilities provide customers with specialist testing apparatus designed to promote ‘working in partnership’ opportunities with its customers and universities.

In yet another significant move, the company has also made a major investment in its bauxite residue management programme in order to ensure its sustainability and reduce the facility’s environmental impact. This commitment to future growth will allow the extensive Gardanne plant to maintain complete control of its manufacturing process from bauxite to alumina.

Audemard said, “Our move from being part of a large industrial group to that of one being owned by a smaller company dedicated to promoting our core businesses, has had a profound effect on our ability to be more flexible and innovative. And thanks to our many years as part of industrial giants such as Rio Tinto we have also earned the reputation for having the highest quality production processes and products in the industry with the highest EHS standards.”

“Within the fused alumina business, our key competences relate to the production of white-fused alumina, brown fused alumina, semi-friable alumina, sintered bauxite, zirconia alumina, bubble alumina and silicon nitrides for bonded and coated abrasives, blasting, refractories, ceramics and laminated flooring applications.”

“Being in the alumina business for more than 100 years, one of our biggest strengths is our unrivalled, in-depth knowledge of the feedstock. Alteo’s current fused alumina production capacity is more than 60,000 tons per annum and our biggest markets today are France, Germany, Austria and Sweden, as well as the USA, Turkey, Japan, China and Taiwan. The fused alumina market shows positive signs and we expect to meet this demand with the specialty products we develop. Indeed, part of

our strategy is to focus on developing our ‘customer partnership’ programme where we work to achieve the optimal product match for each customer. Furthermore, not many companies have the ability to produce such a wide range of speciality fused aluminas as we do.”

Audemard added, “As a company we are also committed to reducing our energy consumption and increasing the efficient recycling of our waste products. In fact these waste products are now forming the basis for a whole new range of products thanks to our in-house R&D’s innovative approach to new product development. As far as future growth is concerned all options are open, whether it is through acquisitions or joint ventures, or the move into new niche markets”. n

For further details of Alteo’s innovative products and services visit: www.alteo-alumina.com

ALTEO AT A GLANCE – Focus on the fused alumina division

World leading producer of fused products: White fused aluminas, bubble aluminas, brown fused aluminas, semi friable aluminas, zirconia aluminas (25 per cent), sintered bauxite, silicon nitride and Abral® . 100 per cent made in France. Total fusion capacity (WFA, BFA, ZR 25 per cent): 60 000 mt/year.

Supplying to all around the world in full trucks loads (24 mt) and full container loads (18-20 mt).

For a wide range of applications: Bonded and coated abrasives, blasting, refractories, ceramics and laminated flooring applications.

Technical and R&D support to improve and create customized products.

“The trusted partner for all your repair needs of industrial equipment!”

Faucets, valves, gearboxes, pumps Blowers, centrifuges, vacuum pumps

111 Chemin du Puits Germain, 13119 Saint-Savournin, France Tel: +33 4 42 04 63 95 • Email: stmecasud@free.fr