Alcoa and Nike Team up to Form Licensing Partnership for New Nike Premium Baseball Bats
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NEW YORK -- June 6, 2006--Alcoa (NYSE:AA) announced today that its Global Engineered Products business has signed a multi-year contract with Nike to supply specialty aluminum drawn tube for the sports giant's premium brand baseball bats that will be used on baseball diamonds throughout the world this season. Nike's Aero Torque® and Aero Strobe® baseball bats are made with Alcoa's advanced aluminum alloys C555 and C855, which are derivatives of alloys originally developed for the aerospace industry.
"These technologically advanced Alcoa aluminum alloys are very strong and crack-resistant, yet lightweight. They meet sports equipment manufacturers' demands for reliable high-performance materials. The combination of high fracture toughness and strength allows for lightweight bats with great hitting power," said Dave Dobson, President, Alcoa Global Engineered Products.
"Our premium bats are used by top college baseball programs as well as serious high school and youth players. We are excited with this new partnership with Alcoa," said Charley Stobbs, Category Business Director, Nike Team Sports Equipment.
As part of this new agreement, Nike premium bats will bear Alcoa advanced performance alloy logos. The companies will co-promote the bats and alloys on Alcoa.com, Nike.com, in Nike catalogs and advertisements, and at the NCAA Men's College World Series® baseball tournament to be held in Omaha, Nebraska, June 16-26.
Alcoa's plant in Chandler, Arizona, is supplying the drawn tube to Nike. Alcoa's Global Engineered Products business is a leading provider of extruded rods, bars, tubes and other shapes to the recreation products market. Its technologically advanced alloys are used for baseball bats, bicycle parts and other sports products.
Alcoa is the world's leading producer and manager of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components, Alcoa also markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap® foils and plastic wraps, Alcoa® wheels, and Baco® household wraps. Among its other businesses are closures, fastening systems, precision castings, and electrical distribution systems for cars and trucks. The company has 129,000 employees in 43 countries and has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com
