SEPT-ÎLES, October 27, 2015 – Claude Boulanger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aluminerie Alouette, and Blair McKeil, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of McKeil Marine, have renewed their partnership agreement for the third time. Covering the five-year period from 2017 to 2021, the new, mutually beneficial contract paves the way to increased shipments of aluminum sows.
The two organizations have been partners for just over 10 years, with Alouette calling on McKeil Marine’s Alouette Spirit barge to ship aluminium towards the Great Lakes and the ports of Oswego, New York, Toledo, Ohio, and Detroit, Michigan. Since 2005, Alouette has shipped more than 2 million tonnes of its metal via the “blue highway.” As the same volume of aluminium would have filled more than 65,000 trucks, marine transport, with its small environmental footprint, has reduced the impact on the road system, including Highway 138, and avoided emissions of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gases.
According to agreement co-signatory Claude Boulanger, “Our relations are more than simple business ties. We have a remarkable partnership, with benefits for the entire community. Using the marine option to ship metal isn’t new for Aluminerie Alouette, which is committed to maximizing this avenue for freight shipments of both raw materials and finished products.”
“We are very proud of our long standing relationship with Aluminerie Alouette and the community of Sept-Iles,” says CEO Blair McKeil. “Our commitment has been to deliver innovative solutions and continuous improvements in our operating metrics; optimizing Alouette’s success is our priority. We are delighted that this has led to a renewed extension of our relationship. And we look forward to our new vessel entering the aluminum trade in 2016,”adds McKeil.
Agreement driven by innovation
A new vessel, specially adapted for shipments of aluminum towards the Great Lakes, will soon be used along with the barges currently in operation. It will also enable shipments to the U.S. eastern seaboard. A brand-new, optimized handling system will also be deployed, in cooperation with other partners. It will boost loading capacity to 14,500 tonnes per trip — a significant gain for Alouette, which is always on the look-out for ways to reduce costs. Earlier this year, the primary aluminium producer underlined McKeil Marine’s creativity by presenting the shipping company with the prestigious “Partner in Excellence” award, in the category of “Innovation,” during its supplier recognition evening.
