The Lewisport mill of Aleris is for sale following the completion of a $2.8 billion acquisition of the Aleris Corporation to Novelis Inc.
Novelis announced last week it had acquired 13 Aleris plants across North America, Europe and Asia — but the company was required to divest some of Aleris’ assets to satisfy the Department of Justice regulations. So, the Lewisport mill and a plant in Belgium are being sold to a third party.
“(There were) some concerns that they had around antitrust, and so while we did very much want to acquire the Lewisport facility, the Department of Justice ruled that we were not able to do that and because of that we have to find a suitable buyer for that facility,” said Mike Touhill, manager of external communications at Novelis.
The Lewisport mill is currently operating as an individual identity and is still called Aleris until it is sold to another buyer.
“Aleris will be responsible with Novelis for selling that facility,” Touhill said. “As of today, it’s business as usual at Lewisport.”
Earlier this week, it was announced that Hancock County native Mike Keown had been chosen to guide the sale of the Lewisport mill and an innovation center in Detroit. These autobody sheet plants must be sold to avoid a monopoly in the ABS market.
There is no buyer yet, Touhill said.
Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, which is an industry leader in aluminum and copper, and the metals flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group.
Aleris is a privately held, global leader in aluminum-rolled products serving diverse industries including aerospace, automotive, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial manufacturing.
