Business View - November 2015 91
According to Douglass, Corson also saw the benefits that
could accrue to the wider community from the scaling up
a large manufacturing concern in the area. “Ben’s goal
was to give back to the community. He was a huge part
of the community here, and he recognized that there
was a need for this sort of manufacturing - both for jobs
in the area, its development, as well as the income that
could be generated from manufacturing,” she says. “The
driving force was always giving back to the community,
while growing the business organically.” The company
continues that community focus today through its use of
solar energy and methane gas from the adjoining clean
fill park that supplies 75 percent of its power to its em-
ployee, community volunteerism program.
Aluminum Shapes business did, indeed, grow. Between
1959 and 1996, the company made significant equip-
ment improvements and technical advances, including
the installation of large press lines, fully automating its
anodizing line, and expanding into new business lines
and markets. Recognition of Aluminum Shapes’ growth,
versatility, and ability to deliver on large scale extrusion
projects came in 1985, when it was selected as the
sole extruder/fabricator of aluminum used to construct
the scaffolding for the renovation of the Statue of Lib-
erty. Then again in 1998, the company was selected to
provide aluminum scaffolding for the renovation of the
Washington Monument.
In 2008 the Corson family sold Aluminum Shapes.
Owned by a private equity group and a corporate entity,
the company still retains its family- owned focus. With
this ownership change, Aluminum Shapes has success-
fully repositioned itself from operating as a low cost pro-
vider of standard products to a highly responsive, value-
added, custom aluminum product manufacturer. Today,
it has grown into a fully integrated company, offering the
widest range of production and distribution capabilities
in the industry. It employs about 400 people at its one
facility, in which all of its operations take place. “Most
companies our size would not do that in a single loca-
tion,” says Douglass. “It is unusual for a single-site loca-
tion to have the casting potential and production ability
that we have.”
AT A GLANCE
WHO:
Aluminum Shapes LLC
WHAT:
A fully integrated aluminum services re-
source
WHERE:
Delair, New Jersey
WEBSITE
:
MANUFACTURING
