Scriba, N.Y. – Novelis Inc. said Friday that it had reopened its Oswego County aluminum plant and resumed production a day after a five-alarm fire in a section of its closed hot mill.
Novelis and Ford Motor Co., its biggest U.S. customer, issued a joint statement in which they said the Scriba facility’s cold mill and heat treatment operations resumed production Friday morning.
Novelis also resumed shipping finished aluminum from the Oswego County plant to supply Ford, the statement said.
Novelis said it will “continue to leverage alternate sources, including its global network of plants and industry peers, to mitigate impact” on Ford and other customers.
Novelis says it is the world’s largest supplier of aluminum sheets to the automotive industry, with a global market share of about 50%.
Novelis officials declined to provide more information about the extent of damage from Thursday’s fire or say how long it might delay reopening the hot mill section of the plant.
Construction workers have been on the job 24/7 to rebuild the hot mill after a massive fire Sept. 16 heavily damaged a section of its roof.
The fire halted the plant’s ability to heat up aluminum ingots, the first step to make rolls of aluminum sheets, and disrupted the American auto industry supply chain.
The loss of the plant’s aluminum sheets temporarily shut down auto plants in Tennessee and Michigan. Ford estimated the supply disruption will cost the company $1 billion.
Novelis said today that Thursday’s fire was quickly contained, and the plant was evacuated without any injuries to employees, contractors or first responders.
The company did not say whether it will still be able to meet its goal of reopening the hot mill by the end of December.
In the joint statement Friday, Ford officials suggested that Thursday’s fire would not cause any disruptions big enough to affect its bottom line.
Ford reaffirmed its full-year 2025 adjusted EBIT guidance of $6 billion to $6.5 billion and full year adjusted free cash flow of $2 billion to $3 billion.
Novelis said it will strengthen its U.S. aluminum supply chain next year when it opens a new plant in Bay Minette, Alabama. The plant is due to open in the second half of 2026.
About 1,100 people work at the Novelis plant in Scriba, just outside of the city of Oswego. The plant is one of Oswego County’s largest employers.
Read more about Novelis in Oswego County
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- Update: Firefighters from two counties battling fire at Novelis aluminum plant in Oswego County (19 photos)
- The Novelis plant in Central NY grew into a crucial supplier to the U.S. auto industry. Then disaster hit
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