Alcoa plant set to reopen

MASSENA, N.Y. -- Aluminum producer Alcoa recently announced plans to reopen its idled Massena East plant, creating dozens of jobs for area residents.

After sitting idle for almost two years, the plant is slated to reopen three of its smelters in early March, which has prompted the recall of about 90 lost jobs and the creation of approximately 20 more.

Alcoa closed the plant's doors in 2009 amid low market prices for the metal, laying off 113 employees.

The Massena East facility is just one of three plants slated to restart this year, the other two are in Washington state.

Alcoa said the current move will help the company meet anticipated growth in aluminum demand and to meet the obligations of existing energy agreements with energy providers such as with the New York Power Authority.

The restarts will be powered by hydropower from the St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project near Massena, said Laurie Marr, communications and public affairs manager for the company's Massena operations.

In all, the company said the restarted facilities will increase Alcoa's aluminum production by 137,000 metric tons in 2011 and by 200,000 metric tons each year after.

Michael Gleason, executive director of the Greater Massena Chamber of Commerce, said the restart will be a big boost to the region's economy.

"It's a boost to morale and people who were laid off," Gleason said. "It will bring a lot of money back in the economy in northern New York."

Gleason said the closing of the General Motors plant in Massena in 2009, which resulted in approximately 500 layoffs, was a big hit to the area's economy. He said the Alcoa plant reopening will allow more residents to remain in Massena.

Marr said the company is currently recalling employees, and the number of new jobs available will depend on the number of people that accept their job back. Hiring will be announced in the next few weeks.