Wah Chang Corporation
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing (corrosion-resistant metals) |
| Predecessor | Wah Chang Trading Corporation |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Founder | Kuo-Ching "KC" Li Sr. |
| Fate | Acquired by Teledyne in 1967; became ATI Wah Chang in 1996; renamed ATI Specialty Alloys and Components in 2014 |
| Successor | ATI Specialty Alloys and Components (division of Allegheny Technologies) |
| Headquarters | Albany , United States |
Key people | Kuo-Ching "KC" Li Sr. (Founder, President, Chairman), Wing Muin Mark (Chief Engineer), Stephen W. H. Yih (President of Teledyne Wah Chang Albany) |
| Products | Corrosion-resistant metals including hafnium, niobium, titanium, vanadium, zirconium |
| Owner | Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (since 1996) |
Number of employees | About 1,100 (as of 2005) (2005) |
| Parent | Allegheny Technologies Incorporated |
Wah Chang Corporation was a U.S.-based manufacturer specializing in corrosion-resistant metals, including hafnium, niobium, titanium, vanadium, and zirconium, with its headquarters located in Albany, Oregon. Since 2014, it has functioned as a division of Allegheny Technologies. The company had a workforce of about 1,100 employees and recorded revenues of US$265 million in fiscal year 2005.
History
Established in 1916 by Chinese American mining engineer Kuo-Ching "KC" Li Sr. in New York, the enterprise began as Wah Chang Trading Corporation, primarily engaged in the international trade of tungsten ore and concentrates. The term Wah Chang translates from Cantonese as "fortunate enterprise" or "great development." By 1946, the company had set up a manufacturing facility in Union City, New Jersey, and during the 1950s operated tungsten mines located in Nevada and California.
In 1953, Wah Chang appointed Stephen W. H. Yih—an engineer holding master's degrees in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering—to spearhead its Titanium Project. Two years later, Yih was assigned to the U.S. Bureau of Mines Titanium Development Plant in Boulder City, Nevada, where he collaborated with Wing Muin Mark to achieve production of titanium with the highest purity globally.
The year 1956 marked Wah Chang's acquisition of a contract from the Atomic Energy Commission to manage the U.S. Bureau of Mines zirconium plant situated in Albany, Oregon, supporting nuclear initiatives for the U.S. Navy. After extending this contract, Wah Chang constructed its own zirconium manufacturing facility. Wing Muin Mark joined as the second employee to oversee design and operations; within four months after construction commenced in August 1956, the company produced its first commercial zirconium sponge batch. Mark further innovated production techniques for high-purity hafnium and titanium.
Kuo-Ching Li served as president until 1960 and held the chairman role until his passing in 1961, steering Wah Chang through its formative growth period and strategic diversification into specialty metals essential for defense and industrial sectors.
Teledyne years (1967–1996)
In 1967, privately owned by K.C. Li at that time, Wah Chang was acquired by Teledyne, transforming its principal Albany facility into a subsidiary named Teledyne Wah Chang Albany (TWCA). At acquisition, Wah Chang employed approximately 1,200 personnel across locations including Albany, Oregon; Glen Cove, New York; Huntsville, Alabama; and Texas City, Texas, with total sales amounting to $40.7 million. The Albany plant was the largest contributor with $20 million revenue and 860 employees. The Huntsville site was later established as a separate subsidiary called Teledyne Wah Chang Huntsville.
During the early 1970s, Wing Mark developed and implemented a manufacturing process for producing ultra-high-purity Hafnium Crystal Bar (99.99999%), earning him recognition as “Mr. Hafnium.” By 1975, TWCA’s workforce had grown to 1,400 employees with annual sales reaching $100 million.
In 1979, Mark Siddall invented a patented isotope separation technique for Zirconium that involved converting isotopes into metal via the van Arkel-de Boer method. In 1982, TWCA entered a joint venture with Mitsui and Ishizuka Research called Zirconium Industry Corp., initiating zirconium sponge production in Japan starting from 1983.
The Millersburg facility was designated a Superfund site in 1983 due to environmental issues; remediation efforts were conducted over subsequent years. Similarly, after 1989, the Glen Cove plant was classified as an EPA Superfund site.
Despite facing difficulties from decreased defense expenditures after the Cold War during the 1990s, TWCA persisted with technological advancements and secured patents such as US Patent 5171549 and US Patent 5581003.
Allegheny Technologies subsidiary (1996–present)
Following the 1996 merger with Allegheny Ludlum Corporation that resulted in the formation of Allegheny Technologies Incorporated, the company adopted the name ATI Wah Chang.
Wah Chang personnel
- Kuo-Ching "KC" Li Sr. – Founder, President, and Chairman of Wah Chang Corporation.
- Wing Muin Mark ("Mr. Hafnium") – Served as Chief Engineer and Operations Manager, pioneering methods to produce ultra-high-purity Hafnium (99.99999%), Zirconium, and Titanium. He completed a B.S. in Chemistry with a Metallurgy minor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1949.
- Stephen W. H. Yih – Engineer who succeeded Kuo-Ching Li Sr. as President of Teledyne Wah Chang Albany, holding the position for two decades.
- Edmund F. Baroch – Held the role of Vice President at Teledyne Wah Chang in Albany, Oregon.
Corporate mergers and acquisitions
- 1916: Wah Chang Trading Corporation was established by Kuo-Ching Li in New York.
- 1967: The company was acquired by Teledyne, becoming Teledyne Wah Chang Albany (TWCA) based in Oregon; concurrently, the Alabama facility was renamed Teledyne Wah Chang Huntsville.
- 1996: Allegheny Ludlum Corporation acquired Teledyne, forming the parent company Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI). Subsequently, Teledyne Wah Chang was rebranded as ATI Wah Chang.
- 2014: ATI Wah Chang underwent a name change to become ATI Specialty Alloys and Components, operating as a division within ATI.
ATI
In March 2014, the division adopted the name ATI Specialty Alloys and Components to better represent its specialized role within Allegheny Technologies’ business structure.