ARCONIC & KNF(Korea non-ferrous metals)

Since its establishment in 1987, KNF has been supplying aluminum, the eco-friendly material of the future, to various industries in Korea, including semiconductor, display, aerospace, defense, shipbuilding, and automotive. With the slogan ※Aluminum Bank,§ the company customizes all aluminum materials needed for industrial sites and has an exclusive domestic sales contract with Arconic, the world＊s No. 1 aluminum company. KNF has created high added value in all industries with aluminum, and has been supplying high-quality aluminum to Korean companies at reasonable prices through direct deals with world-renowned aluminum production plants such as FUSINA and LamiAL. To celebrate 30 years of cooperation and mutual trust with Arconic, KNF held a 30th anniversary event on Friday, September 6th at the Westin Josun Hotel in Seoul. The event is an important reminder of the cooperation and mutual trust that the two companies have shared in supporting the semiconductor and aerospace manufacturing sectors in Korea. On the occasion, Korea＊s leading bilingual monthly PowerKorea featured KNF＊s innovation and competitiveness as the top issue of the month.

 

The largest aluminum material supplier in Korea 

‘Aluminum Bank’ KNF

On September 6th, KNF (CEO Ahn Kook-heon) and Arconic (USA) celebrated the 30th anniversary of their partnership with a ceremony on the second floor of the Westin Josun Hotel in Seoul. KNF, the largest aluminum material supplier in Korea, has the slogan “Aluminum Bank,” and provides all aluminum materials needed for the semiconductor industry, aviation and defense, shipbuilding and marine, automotive, and more, and customizes the thickness, size, and shape that customers want. “We supply aluminum raw materials to a wide range of industries in the country and have a number of differentiating strengths. We provide stable and reliable products with high technology and strict quality control, and we continuously invest in quality management systems and process improvements to ensure product consistency and performance.” said KNF CEO Ahn Kook-heon. KNF has a broad product portfolio and offers customized solutions beyond material supply to meet the needs of customers in a variety of industries, including semiconductor, aerospace, shipbuilding, automotive, silos, and more. Along with the international quality system certificates for standard management (ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO45001), the company was the first in the domestic aluminum industry to obtain the AS9120 certificate, which is a quality management system for materials specializing in aerospace and defense. This is an indicator that KNF has differentiated itself from other companies. KNF even operates a precise logistics system. This allows it to deliver products to its customers at the right time, when they need them, which plays a big role in increasing the stability of supply chain and maintaining customers’ production schedules.  “We are pursuing sustainable management through environmentally friendly products and process improvements, and we are increasing our credibility as a socially responsible company.” said Ahn. These strengths enable KNF to differentiate itself in the aluminum raw materials market and position itself as a trusted partner for its customers.

 

KNF and Arconic‘s 30 years of partnership

International and local industry influencers congratulate the event

KNF’s strong partnerships with major domestic and international aluminum producers and suppliers ensure a stable raw material supply chain, which allows the company to provide customers with continuous supply and competitive prices. The company has been supplying high-quality aluminum at reasonable prices to domestic companies through direct transactions with world-renowned aluminum production plants such as FUSINA and LamiAL. KNF has signed an exclusive domestic sales contract with Arconic in the U.S. Since 1994, KNF and Arconic have been supporting the semiconductor and aerospace manufacturing sectors in Korea through deep trust and cooperation. Arconic is an American company that is a leader in aluminum products across a wide range of industries, including defense, semiconductors, aerospace, and automotive, and has a long history of contributions to the world’s first aluminum materials, the Wright brothers’ first airplane, and Coca-Cola’s first can. The event held at the Westin Josun Hotel in Seoul on September 6th was attended by key guests including Arconic’s Vice President of Sales for the Americas, Patrick Boittiaux, SVP of Aerospace Sales, Jason Hinchman, Director of Aerospace Sales, Sean W. Park, Manager of General Industrial Sales, James Kim, Chairman and CEO of AMCHAM (American Chamber of Commerce in Korea), KAIST Professor Kim Man-ki, Executive Vice Chairman of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association Kim Jeong-hoi, Korea Aerospace Industries Association, Korea Defense Industry Association, KAI (Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd.), Lam Research, Wonik IPS, Hansol Iones, ASTK, and KENCOA. Also attended were a number of domestic aviation, defense, semiconductor, and shipbuilding industry partners, who expressed their gratitude for 30 years of cooperation.

 

James Kim(AMCHAM Korea Chariman&CEO) emphasizes importance of cooperation between US and Korea

Kook-heon Ahn(KNF Chairman&CEO) emphasizes continuous cooperation for future technology and innovation

In his congratulatory speech, James Kim emphasized importance of cooperation between the US and Korea by saying “I would like to congratulate KNF and Arconic on their 30th anniversary of partnership. The relationship between Korea and the United States is at its best in the last 20 years.” In his congratulatory speech Kim Man-ki said “It has been 30 years since Arconic aluminum materials were distributed to Korea through KNF, which is very meaningful for strengthening the Korea-US economic alliance, and I congratulate you on this.” Diana B. Perreiah, EVP and Vice President of Arconic, said, “KNF is our largest A6061 customer in Asia and is contributing to the advancement of the semiconductor industry. We look forward to continued growth in our collaboration.” Andrew Gately of the U.S. Embassy in Korea sent a congratulatory video message, saying, “I look forward to the accomplishments of both companies and their future cooperation.” Kook-heon Ahn(KNF CEO) said “We organized this event to celebrate 30 years of cooperation and to express our gratitude to our customers, Arconic and our employees. We look forward to building on our trust and experience with Arconic and continuing our collaboration to create and innovate sustainable future technologies.”. 

 

Participating in the world’s top 3 air shows: Farnborough International Air Show

Sustainable development and growth through partnership

KNF said the event will extend the 30 years of trust and cooperation into the next 100 years. Ahn said “Our continued partnership with Arconic will create many opportunities, explore new markets and continue our growth. We look forward to delivering even more value to our customers through continued technological innovation and quality improvement, and to achieving success in the global marketplace through cooperation.” Meanwhile, KNF participated in one of the world’s top three airshows: the Farnborough International Airshow UK in July. Held every two years, the event showcases the latest technologies and innovations in the aerospace industry. It provides an opportunity for aerospace professionals and companies from around the world to exhibit their latest technologies and products, and increase their competitiveness in the global market, thus playing an important role in generating new business and identifying industry trends. KNF had the opportunity to explore the market for high-quality aluminum, which is essential for the manufacture and development of aviation, defense, and aircraft parts, and was able to attract global attention to aluminum processing and supply, build trust with customers, and increase the company’s competitiveness. The successful exhibition also helped to strengthen the presence of the KNF in the field. KNF is now expanding its partnerships with major overseas aluminum producers and distributors to strengthen its global supply chain, expanding its global customer base by entering overseas markets and driving localization strategies to increase its competitiveness in new markets. Concluding the event on the day, CEO Ahn said “The past 30 years with Arconic have been an important milestone that symbolizes the continued growth and collaboration of our two companies. This partnership will be an important foundation for us to move forward to even bigger dreams in the next 100 years and beyond. Dreams are not just imagined, they are transformed into actionable plans by setting specific dates and goals. When this plan is broken down and put into action, dreams become reality. Based on this principle, we will continue to work together to achieve sustainable development and growth.”