Alcoa Wheel Products European Plant Wins Hungarian National Quality/Ex

    Business Editors

    PITTSBURGH & SZEKESFEHERVAR, Hungary--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 7, 2005--Alcoa (NYSE:AA) announced today that the Hungarian wheels plant of its Alcoa Wheel Products business won the 2004 National Quality/Excellence Award, the most prestigious business excellence award in Hungary. Alcoa Wheel Products Europe (AWPE) was awarded the national prize by Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany during a ceremony recently.
    Sponsored by the Hungarian Ministry of Economics, the award uses criteria based on the European Foundation for Quality Management model, adopted by 30 countries. AWPE was selected following a rigorous evaluation process involving site visits by assessors measuring criteria including customer and performance results, partnerships, strategy and leadership.
    "It is extremely rewarding that Alcoa Wheel Products Europe won this award on its first application. This award recognizes not only the quality and level of products or services, but the overall functional excellence of the organization and its results," said Laszlo Veres, managing director of Alcoa Wheel Products Europe.
    This national prize follows a series of earlier honors for the business including the 2003 IIASA-Shiba Award for total quality management, 2002 House of Hungarian Quality Award, as well as several corporate citizenship and community involvement recognitions.

    About Alcoa Wheel Products

    Alcoa Wheel Products meets the needs of the commercial transportation, automotive, aerospace and industrial markets. AWP manufacture forged aluminum wheels that are strong, corrosion-resistant and lightweight for the heavy trucks, large aircraft and military tanks. Products also include forged and cast wheels for the automotive industry, forged aluminum, titanium and nickel-based alloy parts for aerospace and industrial applications and wheel accessories for commercial vehicles and light trucks.

    Alcoa in Hungary

    Alcoa has 5,500 employees in Hungary at five plants. These facilities produce extrusions and rolling ingots, flat rolled products, automotive structures, truck bodies, plastic closures, wire harnesses, and wheels for trucks, trailers and buses. Alcoa is the world's leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina. It has 131,000 employees in 43 countries.

    Note to Editors: The accents above the first 'e' and above the 'a' in Szekesfehervar were removed for transmission purposes.

--30--KR/cl*

CONTACT: Alcoa Inc. Kevin G. Lowery, 412-553-1424 www.alcoa.com

KEYWORD: PENNSYLVANIA HUNGARY INTERNATIONAL EUROPE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TRANSPORTATION MINING/METALS SOURCE: Alcoa Inc.

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