Now called Rio Tinto Alcan Inc, the firm operates as a subsiduary of Rio Tinto plc. Alcan was a Canadian mining company and aluminum manufacturer. Founded in 1902 as the Northern Aluminum Company, Limited, renamed Aluminum Company of Canada, Limited. in 1925, and Alcan Aluminum Limited. in 1966. It took the name Alcan Incorporated in 2001. During that time, it grew to become one of the worlds largest aluminum manufacturers. Alcan was purchased by Australian/European multinational Rio Tinto for $38 billion in 2007, becoming Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. in 2008. Rio Tinto Alcan, Inc. operates in the aluminum, engineered products, and packaging industries primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia. It's Bauxite and Alumina group produces specialty aluminas, such as fire retardant products, refractory bricks, zeolite, alum, solid surface products, absorbents, and ceramics. It also offers engineering, technology, and other services relating to bauxite and alumina to internal customers and third parties. The company's Primary Metal group produces electricity; and aluminum products, including sheet ingot, extrusion billet, rod, foundry ingot, and remelt ingot for conversion into fabricated products for consumer goods, transportation, building, and construction markets, as well as other industrial applications. It also provides smelter technology; equipment, such as cranes and potroom equipment for the aluminum industry, and cranes for baking furnaces and rodding shop equipment; and engineering services. Also, this group produces calcined coke, anodes, cathode blocks, and aluminum fluoride used in the production, recycling, and refining of aluminum. Alcan's Engineered Products group manufactures engineered or fabricated aluminum products, including rolled, extruded and cast aluminum products, wire, and cable; and composites materials, such as aluminum, plastic, foam board, paper, and balsa wood. The company's Packaging group manufactures flexible packaging, caps and closures, contract packaging, folding cartons, glass vials, ampoules and tubing products, medical flexible packaging, and plastic bottles; beauty packaging products; and tobacco packaging products. The company was formerly known as Alcan, Inc. and changed its name to Rio Tinto Alcan, Inc. in November 2007. Rio Tinto Alcan, Inc.
