Second-largest US aluminum plant to lay off most staff: Local news

Second-largest US aluminum plant to lay off most staff: Local news·Reuters

Jan 25 (Reuters) - The second-largest U.S. aluminum smelter in southeast Missouri will not require "most employees" after curtailing its operations by Jan. 28, according to a local news report on Wednesday citing a letter from plant management.

"Due to abnormally cold weather, our operations have been severely impaired to the point where they cannot be restored while running," the Heartland News report cited the letter from Magnitude 7 Metals Llc as saying.

The letter added that Magnitude 7 would continue looking for fresh capital from potential investors to restart the smelter in the future.

The 263,000 tonne-a-year smelter in Missouri's New Madrid county restarted in mid-2018 after Swiss-based ARG International AG, led by former Glencore trader Matt Lucke, bought it out of bankruptcy from Noranda.

Heartland News said Lucke refused to comment on the curtailment decision. ARG International did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

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