ATI's Specialty Rolled Products lands long-term Airbus deal

ATI has a multi-year contract with Airbus, the world’s leading helicopter manufacturer and largest producer of airliners.

The majority of the deal will be served by Specialty Rolled Products, ATI’s Harrison facility, with other operations in Brackenridge, Vandergrift, Latrobe and Washington, Pa.

The specialty metals manufacturer will produce Airbus’ titanium plate, sheet and billet as it continues to ramp up production of narrow and widebody aircraft, said Tom DeLuca, president of ATI Specialty Rolled Products.

It positions ATI as a top supplier of titanium flat-rolled and long products to Airbus, he said.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Alloy titanium sheet products will be produced at ATI’s new plant in Pageland, S.C.

ATI President and CEO Kimberly A. Fields said the guaranteed share contract more than doubles ATI’s prior supply to Airbus.

“Our investments in titanium capacity give us the ability to respond to our customer’s increased need for high-purity melt and exceptional titanium products as they grow their production,” she said.

ATI had first-quarter sales of $1.1 billion — up 10% from the same period last year.

Growth was driven by a 23% increase in aerospace and defense, officials said.

Aerospace and defense sales of $754 million represented 66% of first-quarter sales.

In April, the company and its United Steelworkers employees ratified a six-year contract, which included a 26% raise over the life of the agreement. It impacts about 1,000 Specialty Rolled Products employees in Western Pennsylvania and Lockport, N.Y.

ATI materials and components are on virtually every commercial platform flying today, according to company officials.

“As we further strengthen our position as an aerospace and defense leader, we’ve diversified to serve every original equipment manufacturer on both airframes and engines,” Fields said.