Putting the “Custom” in Customer

Bernier: Alcoa saw the labor rates and cost of equipment and capital overseas, in general, as prohibitive. What we need to look at are the needs of our customers. And if that means we have to be in a country they do biz in, that’s what it requires. You’ve got to be close to people to react in order to address their issues, whether that be a plating issue, a fit issue—whatever problem they may have. The name of the game is cycle-time reduction. In order to facilitate cycle time reduction, we really have to be there.