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| The United States Alumoweld Company (USAC) is a
privately held corporation headquartered in Duncan, South
Carolina, USA. The Company manufactures, distributes and
sells AlumoweldŽ aluminum-clad steel conductors in
markets worldwide. In 1996, revenues reached $17 million.
The company is 90 percent owned by Fujikura, Ltd. of Tokyo, which operates two production facilities; one located in Duncan, South Carolina, USA (USAC) and another in Numazu, Japan (JAC). Both facilities manufacture aluminum-clad steel products using the patented AlumoweldŽ Powder Process, a technique which contributes significantly to Alumoweld's numerous competitive advantages. Extensive laboratory testing and field exposure in virtually every environmental extreme attests to the reliability of the AlumoweldŽ Powder Process. After four decades, the original process (developed in 1955) continues to be an efficient and effec tive way to manufacture highly reliable aluminum-clad steel wire. USAC is the number one aluminum-clad steel producer in the United States; and is among the top four worldwide. The company's commitment to provide a quality product with short lead times and world class service, and to maintain a highly reliable manufacturing process, brings you a product that is unsurpassed by other manufacturers. In 1955, Copperweld Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and Battelle Memorial Institute of Columbus, Ohio, USA initiated a joint research and development project that resulted in the invention of the AlumoweldŽ Powder Process for the production of aluminum-clad steel wire. This original process has proven reliable for nearly forty years, and remains a preferred method of production, while many competing methodologies have fallen by the wayside. From 1959 through 1983, Copperweld Corporation's Alumoweld Products Division in Glassport, Pennsylvania, USA manufactured AlumoweldŽ conductors. In 1965, Fujikura Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan entered into a joint venture with Copperweld Corporation to produce aluminum-clad steel using the patented AlumoweldŽ Powder process. The venture resulted in the formation of the Japan Alumoweld Company (JAC). Manufacture gradually shifted to the JAC facility; and in 1983, the original Glassport facility was closed. Located in Numazu, Japan, JAC is still in operation today, providing customers in the eastern hemisphere with AlumoweldŽ products. In 1989, the United States Alumoweld Company (USAC) was formed, and assumed the sales administrative responsibility for AlumoweldŽ products. In 1990, the production of AlumoweldŽ began at this same facility, located in Duncan, South Carolina. Realizing the importance of the U.S. market for these products, JAC and Alcoa Fujikura, Ltd. (AFL) made the investment to launch this facility. USAC combined the technological experience of Copperweld and the technical expertise of the Japanese partners, rising to become an industry leader in just a few years. In 1992, Copperweld divested itself of the AlumoweldŽ business, selling its shares in JAC to Fujikura. USAC today remains under the ownership of JAC (90%) and AFL (10%). For many years, USAC has operated a quality control system based largely on the tenants of ISO 9000. In July 1997, however, USAC received ISO 9002 certification of the Duncan facility. Return to Alumoweld Home Page.
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