Friday, September 9, 2011

The prosperity of Reyðarfjördur

I have been very interested in visiting one of the areas that hosts an aluminum smelter and decided to go east.  I was impressed by the vitality, prosperity and positive outlook of Reyðarfjördur, which hosts Alcoa's state-of-the-art Fjarðaál plant.  City officials and others I met were very pleased with the enormous benefits that Fjarðaál has brought to the community.  Besides the obvious 
employment benefits, Fjarðaál has shown the true meaning of corporate social responsibility.  Alcoa supports projects and activities that strengthen several communities in the area.  Of particular note is its "Alcoa Foundation," which is a partnership between Alcoa and several NGOs aimed at supporting the environment and equal employment opportunities.  Fjarðaál's investment model is truly unique and beneficial to host communities.  I suspect many other communities in Iceland would love to partner with Alcoa.