Aluminum Plant Supplying Ford Pickups Erupts in Fire Again
Employees Safely Evacuated at Novelis Plant in Oswego, N.Y.
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Aluminum supplier Novelis Inc. said its employees were safely evacuated after another fire broke out at its facility in New York on Nov. 20.
The company, a key supplier to Ford Motor Co., said the fire is under control and crews are on site to ensure it’s fully extinguished. Multiple local fire departments responded, .
The blaze is the latest incident at the facility that produces aluminum sheet metal for Ford vehicles including its top-selling F-150 pickup. A damaging fire broke out in September that shuttered production at the plant. Ford has said production interruptions tied to the fire will reduce its adjusted profit by as much as$2 billionthis year.
Localmedia reportssaid that heavy black plumes of smoke could be seen coming out of the roof of the plant, and that the fire came from the plant’s cold mill.
BREAKING: For the second time this year, a fire has broken out at the Novelis aluminum plant in Oswego.
— Spectrum News 1 CNY/S.Tier (@SPECNews1CNY)
Novelis declined to discuss whether the latest fire will affect its plans to resume and ramp up production at the facility.
Ford was still assessing the impact of the latest fire Nov. 20.
“We’re aware of the situation and we’re working with Novelis to learn more,” the automaker said in a statement.
The latest setback comes as Ford was working with Novelis to restart the plant as early as next week. On Nov. 19 the automaker’s chief financial officer, Sherry House, told investors at a Barclays conference that efforts to resume work at the Novelis factory were “on track” with the expectation the facility would restart around Thanksgiving or into early December.
The automaker’s shares fell as much as 3.9% as of 12:35 p.m. on Nov. 20.
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