Alcan in Iceland Awarded Highest Business Honour
Montreal, Canada, November 29 (ots/PRNewswire)
Alcan Inc. (NYSE, TSX: AL) announced today that its subsidiary, Alcan Iceland Ltd., has been awarded the Icelandic Quality Award by Iceland's Prime Minister, Mr. Halldor Asgrimsson. The Award is Iceland's most prestigious honour given annually to businesses and organizations judged to be the most successful in achieving business excellence.
"This distinct honour is testament to the exceptional job Alcan Iceland employees and managers are doing in maintaining the highest standard of quality at our site and within the communities in which we operate," said Cynthia Carroll, President and Chief Executive Officer, Alcan Primary Metal Group.
"This award is given only to leading companies in Iceland and we are very proud to count ourselves a part of that exclusive group," added Rannveig Rist, the General Manager of Alcan Iceland.
The Icelandic Quality Award is a joint effort by The University of Iceland, The Confederation of Icelandic Employers, The Commercial Workers Union of Reykjavik, The office of the Prime Minister, and Excellence Iceland. The winning company is selected by a group of independent auditors who assess how well nominees comply with the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model.
Ms. Rist accepted the award from the Prime Minister in a ceremony at the Grand Hotel in Reykjavik, Iceland. The Prime Minister praised Alcan's employees and managers saying, "Alcan Iceland is the only company in Iceland that holds certified management systems for quality (ISO 9001), safety (OSHAS 18001) and environment (ISO 14001). The company has strategically improved purchasing processes, financial processes, human resources and continuous improvement with methods that Alcan is implementing across all functions."
In Iceland, Alcan operates a 178kt per year primary aluminum smelter and employs 500 people. The Icelandic Quality Award contributes to Alcan's already good reputation in Iceland and the company has received number of awards in recent years: The Awards of Occupational Education, The Environmental Recognition, The Occupational Health and Safety Recognition and The Gender Equality Awards.
Alcan is a multinational, market-driven company and a global leader in aluminum and packaging. With world-class operations in primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum as well as flexible and specialty packaging, aerospace applications, bauxite mining and alumina processing, today's Alcan is well positioned to meet and exceed its customers' needs for innovative solutions and service. Alcan employs approximately 70,000 people and has operating facilities in 55 countries and regions.
Contact:
Media Contact: Anik Michaud, Tel.: +1-514-848-8151,
media.relations@alcan.com, Investor Contact: Corey Copeland, Tel.:
+1-514-848-8368, investor.relations@alcan.com