Allegheny Technologies
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Specialty materials, metals manufacturing |
| Predecessor | Allegheny Ludlum Corporation, Teledyne |
| Founded | 1939 (as Allegheny Ludlum Corporation) |
| Headquarters | Dallas , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Richard J. Harshman (Chairman), Robert S. Wetherbee (President & CEO) |
| Products | Titanium and titanium alloys, nickel-based superalloys, stainless and specialty steels, zirconium, hafnium, niobium, tungsten, forgings and castings |
| Revenue | $4.17 billion (2023) |
| $466 million (2023) | |
| $423 million (2023) | |
Number of employees | 7,300 (2023) |
| Website | atimaterials |
ATI Inc. (previously known as Allegheny Technologies Incorporated) is a U.S.-based producer of specialty materials, with its headquarters located in Dallas, Texas. The company specializes in manufacturing a variety of metals such as titanium and its alloys, nickel-based superalloys, stainless and specialty steels, as well as materials including zirconium, hafnium, niobium, and tungsten. Additionally, ATI produces forgings and castings.
The aerospace and defense sectors represent ATI's core markets—particularly commercial jet engine applications, which make up more than half of its revenue. Other significant industries served include oil and gas, chemical processing, electrical power generation, and healthcare.
ATI maintains numerous manufacturing sites throughout the United States, with prominent operations in Western Pennsylvania (notably Harrison Township, Vandergrift, and Washington), alongside facilities in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, California, South Carolina, Oregon, Alabama, Texas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and New York. Its international footprint includes locations in Shanghai and multiple European countries.
The company’s titanium sponge production is centered in Albany, Oregon, and Rowley, Utah. The Rowley facility alone represents a $325 million capital investment and boasts an annual output capacity of 24 million pounds. As of 2012, ATI's total titanium sponge production capacity was estimated to be approximately 40 million pounds per year.
In 2023, ATI reported revenues totaling $4.17 billion alongside an operating income of $466 million and net earnings of $423 million. The workforce numbers around 7,300 employees globally. Leadership includes Chairman Richard J. Harshman and President & CEO Robert S. Wetherbee.
Mergers and acquisitions during the 20th century
Allegheny Ludlum Corporation was formed in 1939 through the merger of Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Steel and Ludlum Steel from Watervliet, New York. Both companies had previously supplied steel for landmark constructions such as the Chrysler Building and Empire State Building. Starting in 1930, Allegheny Steel provided stainless steel brightwork for the Model A Ford.
In the 1970s, Allegheny Ludlum partnered with Ford to create stainless steel promotional vehicles; three of these cars were showcased at the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum.
The company broadened its business scope by acquiring Wilkinson Sword and Scripto in 1978. The next year saw the addition of Kennedy Company—specializing in magnetic tape products for large-scale computer systems—to its portfolio. However, Scripto was divested to Japan's Tokai Corporation in 1984.
Following a $198 million operating loss in 1986 amid allegations of mismanagement, chairman Robert Buckley stepped down. In 1987, Wilkinson Sword was sold to Swedish Match for $230 million.
Allegheny Ludlum went public that same year through an initial public offering under CEO Dick Simmons. The company expanded further in 1993 by acquiring Jessop Steel.
Formation of ATI Technologies in 1996
The merger between Allegheny Ludlum and Teledyne in 1996 resulted in Allegheny Technologies. Subsequently, subsidiaries such as Teledyne Technologies and Water Pik Technologies were spun off in 1999 to concentrate on metals and alloys manufacturing.
In 1998, ATI expanded its holdings by acquiring assets from Lukens Washington Steel along with purchasing both Teledyne Wah Chang Albany and Oregon Metallurgical Corporation (Oremet), strengthening its presence around Albany, Oregon. The Oremet site is a key supplier of premium titanium used in Boeing aircraft. By 2001, ATI ceased operation of its Albany titanium sponge facility to source sponge material externally while maintaining titanium ingot production and mill operations.
The acquisition of J&L Specialty Steel occurred in 2004. In 2005, ATI divested its World Minerals subsidiary to the French company Imerys, reporting sales of $3.5 billion that year. In May 2008, the company invested $260 million to establish a new manufacturing plant located in Monroe, North Carolina.
In 2010, ATI purchased Ladish for $778 million and introduced the ATI 425 Titanium Alloy at the Eurosatory defense exhibition held in Paris. Two years later, it invested $325 million into a new facility in Rowley, Utah adjacent to a US Magnesium plant; this facility employs the Kroll process for titanium production.
By August 2016, around 1,500 employees worked at ATI's Albany-area plants; however, market challenges and international competition led to the idling of both Albany and Rowley operations. Boeing was the primary customer served by the Albany plant. Later that year also saw closure of ATI’s Frackville facility that produced titanium bar and wire products.
In 2019, ATI sold its Albany Cast Products plant to a Cleveland-based firm; at that time approximately 900 employees were distributed across three Albany sites. The complete shutdown of Albany operations occurred by December 2020 following a United Steelworkers union campaign initiated in 2019.
In March 2021 about 1,300 workers at nine northern U.S. locations initiated a strike concerning proposed healthcare plan changes; this labor action concluded in July after ATI retracted its proposals.
June 2022 marked the official rebranding from Allegheny Technologies Incorporated to ATI along with updating its website domain to ATImaterials.com.
As of September 2023, ATI functions as a $3.8 billion enterprise employing over 6,000 personnel across more than thirty U.S.-based facilities plus several international sites situated throughout Europe and Asia.
In June 2023 ATI announced plans for a $28 million expansion at its Richland plant located within Horn Rapids Industrial Park along with intentions to restart operations at Albany. The Richland site is equipped with advanced electron beam melting furnaces as well as vacuum arc remelting technology capable of producing billets weighing up to 44,000 pounds.
Products
The company's offerings are categorized into two primary divisions:
- High Performance Materials & Components: including alloys based on titanium, nickel, and superalloys, as well as zirconium and hafnium.
- Advanced Alloys & Solutions: encompassing alloys derived from zirconium, hafnium, and niobium, along with titanium and its alloys, nickel-based and specialty alloys, duplex alloys available in sheet, strip, and plate formats, and grain-oriented electrical steel.
Environmental record
The Natrona and Brackenridge facilities of Allegheny Ludlum were linked to waste contamination at the ALSCO Park Lindane Dump, designated as an EPA Superfund site. These plants also emitted chromium that impacted air quality within the Highlands School District. In 2005, the company resolved a Department of Justice lawsuit by paying a $2.375 million fine related to illegal discharges of oil and metals—such as chromium, zinc, copper, and nickel—into the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas Rivers near Pittsburgh.
Carbon footprint
ATI disclosed total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (both direct and indirect) amounting to 407 kilotonnes in 2020. This reflects a 26.4% decrease compared to 553 kilotonnes in 2019 and a significant reduction from 849 kilotonnes reported in 2018.
| Dec 2018 | Dec 2019 | Dec 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| 849 | 553 | 407 |