Coordinates given are for a small parking area at the gate to the plant, as far as the general populace can go when visiting
Kaiser Aluminum.
This facility is iconic not so much for its products as it is for when and why it was built, who built it and who eventually purchased and operated it.
One of twelve Kaiser plants in North America, the Trentwood plant specializes in rolling and heat treating of aluminum which is then used in a vast array of products in the aerospace, ground transportation and general engineering industries, including Boeing 767s. The facility was constructed in 1942 by the US Government as a wartime facility to produce the aluminum products required for the war effort. In 1946 it was leased, later purchased, along with the Mead Works (in Mead, WA) primary aluminum plant by
Henry J. Kaiser, who saw a bright future for aluminum.
Henry J. is well known as the founder of the
Kaiser Shipyard, which produced
Liberty Ships during the war and
Kaiser Motors, which produced Kaiser and Frazer automobiles from 1945 to 1955. It is well known for producing the iconic
Henry J.
A bit of History from Kaiser:
A Legendary Industrialist and Social Advocate
Legendary industrialist Henry J. Kaiser founded Kaiser Aluminum in 1946 with the lease and eventual purchase of three aluminum facilities from the United States Government. Over the ensuing decades, Kaiser Aluminum grew to become involved in virtually all aspects of the aluminum industry, including the mining and refining of bauxite into alumina, the production of primary aluminum from alumina, and the manufacture of fabricated and semi-fabricated aluminum products.
Following a recent restructuring, Kaiser Aluminum shed its non-strategic bauxite and alumina operations as well as most of its primary aluminum holdings. The company is now focused on developing the highest-quality fabricated aluminum products for major suppliers and manufacturers in the aerospace, general engineering, automotive and custom industrial markets.
In keeping with Henry J. Kaiser’s legacy, Kaiser Aluminum continues to be a sustaining brand. We are committed to continuing our tradition of robust North American manufacturing through our world-renowned expertise in aluminum processes and fabrication. Thus, Kaiser Aluminum continues to be a recognized leader in metallurgy and innovative engineered solutions – now and into the future.