Novelis Opens Shanghai Office

The aluminum manufacturer Novelis, headquartered in Atlanta, has opened a new sales office in Shanghai as part of the company’s plan to expand its presence in Asia.

LiuNovelis also has named James Liu managing director, Novelis China, and director, sales and marketing, Automotive Asia. He will lead the company’s expansion plans in China and help the company implement its long-term growth strategy in Asia.

Liu joins Novelis from Alcoa China Rolled Products Group, where he served as vice president and managing director, Alcoa International (Asia) Ltd.

"Aluminum has been growing at a much faster pace than other comparable materials," says Philip Martens, president and CEO of Novelis. "As global urbanization and income continues to accelerate in Asia, and particularly China, the flat rolled aluminum market is expected to double in size there by 2020. The opening of our Shanghai office is an important step for Novelis to further capitalize on this significant opportunity. With an expansion underway in Korea, combined with our move into China, we can better serve rapidly growing consumer demand in Asia for high-margin can, automotive and specialty products."

The company is currently investing $400 million to expand its aluminum rolling and recycling operations in South Korea in response to the growing demand for its products in Asia and the Middle East. The rolling expansion, which will include investments in both hot rolling and cold rolling operations, will increase Novelis' aluminum sheet capacity in Asia to 1million metric tons per year.