Arconic History About Us History Arconic is built on an extraordinary heritage of innovation that began with the founding of Alcoa in 1888. Our businesses have helped shape the aerospace, automotive and building and construction industries since the days of the Wright brothers and Henry Ford. On November 1, 2016, Arconic launched as a global leader in multi-material, precision-engineered products and solutions for high-growth markets, following our successful separation from Alcoa’s bauxite, alumina and aluminum products units. Today we continue to build on more than a century of innovation to help transform the way we fly, drive, and build. Below are highlights of our proud history of innovation: 1886: Charles Martin Hall invents the modern aluminum production process, later known as the Hall-Héroult process 1888: First incorporated as the Pittsburgh Reduction Company, based on technology developed by Alcoa’s co-founder, Charles Martin Hall. The Company would be later renamed Aluminum Company of America in 1907, and Alcoa in 1999 1901: Began fabricating lightweight aluminum body and parts for automobiles 1903: Supplied aluminum parts for the Wright Brothers’ plane in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, helping pave the way for the modern aerospace industry 1916: Introduced our first aerospace alloy, 2017-T4, which was used primarily as aircraft sheet and plate, and was integral to the USS Shenandoah rigid airship 1917: Helped make U.S. military equipment lighter, faster and stronger, with the company’s trademark aluminum featured in helmets, gas masks, and canteens 1928: Pioneered lightweight, energy-efficient aluminum windows 1955: Developed the first aluminum wheel for the modern passenger car – the lightweight spoke wheel on the 1955 Cadillac Eldorado 1977: Launched “Alcoa Can’t Wait” advertising campaign, memorable for its rousing score and images of innovative products and processes from Alcoa 1981: Supplied powdered aluminum fuel and aluminum components for the Space Shuttle program 1985: Consulted with AM General during concept development for the Humvee, which became the workhorse of the U.S. Army, and whose body is constructed from high-strength, lightweight aluminum that protects soldiers 1994: Began working with Audi to develop new manufacturing techniques to produce an ultra-lightweight aluminum spaceframe, which resulted in the first all-aluminum automobile 2008: Partnered with Yutong Bus for the 2008 Beijing Olympics to test new environmentally friendly aluminum buses 2009: Selected by Boeing to provide the first large aluminum-lithium plate application on a commercial airliner for its 787 Dreamliner 2013: Capitalized on historic auto industry shift to lightweight vehicles and became a leader in providing advanced aluminum sheet to the North American automotive industry 2016: Arconic launches as a standalone company, continuing to push innovation to the next level, and solving complex engineering challenges that transform the way we fly, drive, and build. 2020: Arconic separates into two standalone companies - Arconic and Howmet Aerospace. Arconic, with headquarters in Pittsburgh, is a global supplier of aluminum sheet, plate and extruded products for the aerospace, automotive, commercial transportation, defense, industrial, and building and construction industries. Howmet Aerospace includes the engine components, fastening systems, engineered structures and forged aluminum wheels businesses. About Us Ethics and Compliance Leadership Arconic Foundation Sustainability History ESG Environmental Social Governance Sustainability Report What We Do Aerospace & Defense Automotive & Commercial Transportation Building and Construction Industrial Solutions Packaging Spectrochemical Reference Materials Investors Events and Presentations Earnings Financial Releases Environmental, Social and Governance Corporate Governance SEC Filings Shareholder Services Contact Investor Relations Our Products Join Us News Contact Privacy Cookie Settings Legal Notices Integrity Line Sitemap Copyright © 2021 Arconic This website uses cookies for analytics and functionality, and advertising purposes. To change your cookie settings or find out more, click here . If you continue browsing our website, you accept these cookies. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies