With its revolutionary technology and commitment to quality,
Arconic Korea is setting the bar for the metal industry
Nestled in Changwon’s quiet countryside, Arconic Korea
looks like an ordinary company
at first glance. But what
the company produces is far from ordinary.
For more than a century, Arconic
has helped create and transform entire
industries around the globe. The
USheadquartered company made headlines
last year with its live-action reimagination
of the world of “The Jetsons”, the
famous American sci-fi cartoon series set
in a futuristic utopia. In the short film,
flying cars and spaceships made from
Arconic technology whiz by mile-high
skyscrapers. The 60-second spot was a
clear illustration of what Arconic is capable
of, and the company’s Korean branch
hopes to be a part of this forward-thinking
narrative.
Founded in 2002 after acquiring
Dooray Air Metal Company, Arconic
Korea has served as a leading manufacturer
and supplier of extruded and forged
aluminum products for aerospace,
defense, automotive and industrial applications.
Its commitment to quality and
service has long been recognized by
major domestic and overseas aircraft
makers, including Korean Air, Lockheed
Martin and Boeing McDonnell Douglas.
By
combining its local presence with
Arconic’s global resources, the company
provides customers with leading-edge
technology, expertise and integrated solutions
for a wide range of products.
At the helm of the company’s success
is Changmo Sung, General Manager of Arconic Korea. “Arconic Korea is able to
supply high-quality products because
we’re involved in every single stage of
production,” he says. “Whether that’s
product design, extrusion or packaging,
we do everything in-house. We want to
provide the best service to our clients so
that both Arconic and our customers can
grow together.”
So what attracted one of the world’s
largest metal companies to Korea? “The
country’s talented workforce, strong
infrastructure and strategic location to
emerging markets were key reasons why
the company opened up a branch here”, says Sung.
As Asia’s economic and technological
hub, Korea provided the manufacturer
with an optimum business environment
to target growing demands from
the region. As a result, Arconic Korea
recorded KRW 58.1 billion (USD 49.3
million) in sales even amid the global
economic slowdown.
Thanks to Korea’s high-tech environment,
the company is throwing its weight
behind research and development.
Arconic Korea has its own product development
team, which seeks to optimize the
combination of alloy and temper and provide
structural solutions at minimum installation costs. The team also focuses
on the development of new alloys to produce
products tailored for its customers.
With its eyes set on the future, the metal
supplier aims to hit KRW 100 billion
(USD 84.8 million) in sales by 2020.
But like most companies setting up
shop in another country, Arconic Korea
faced its fair share of challenges in the
beginning. “We experienced
some difficulty
in the first few years because we
had limited information on Korean market
trends,” says Sung. “There were also
some cultural issues because Arconic had
acquired Dooray Air Metal Company, which was a Korean company.”
The biggest challenge, however, was
trying to change the perception that
Koreans had towards international companies.
“There’s this misconception that
all foreign companies care about is making
money for themselves, but that’s not
true,” says Sung. “Foreign companies
aren’t merely focused on making a profit;
they want to create jobs and help Korean
businesses grow.” He adds that Arconic
has close business partnerships with a
number of small and medium enterprises
in Korea and thanks to such close networks,
both the company and its clients have prospered.
When asked how Korea can become a
more ideal environment for investment,
Sung believes that labor union laws
should be amended so that foreign companies
can feel safer when doing business
here. In addition, he
noted that laws fostering
stronger infrastructure should be
implemented.
Despite the sagging world economy,
Arconic Korea shows no signs of slowing
down. The company has been transforming
impossible ideas into commercial
success, emerging as the sole aluminum
extrusion company in not only Korea, but
all of Asia. “Our vision is to become the
hidden champion of the metal industry,”
says Sung. As the company continues to
transform the way that people fly, drive
and build, it seems that Arconic Korea is
well on its way of achieving this goal.
