AKFA Aluminum Solutions to build first US manufacturing facility in Kentucky

Scope of project

The Bowling Green operation will function as a full-cycle aluminum production site.

According to the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce announcement, the facility will include extrusion, anodizing, and finishing capabilities, allowing AKFA to perform multiple processing stages within a single US location rather than relying on external tolling or offshore finishing.

The Kentucky facility is designed as an integrated production hub rather than a single-process plant.

Extrusion capacity will be paired with downstream anodizing and finishing operations, enabling AKFA to supply finished aluminum products directly to end markets.

According to the announcement, the plant plans to incorporate recycled aluminum billets into its production flow. The use of recycled aluminum billets places AKFA within the secondary aluminum ecosystem rather than the primary smelting segment.

Proximity to recycled billet supply

The Bowling Green site sits near multiple recycled aluminum billet producers. Four facilities operate within roughly two hours or less of the proposed location, including Matalco’s plant in Shelbyville, Ky.; Bonnell Aluminum’s facility in Carthage, Tenn.; and Hydro’s billet operation in Henderson, Ky.

The one of the closest facilities, however, is Matalco’s Franklin, Tenn., facility, which produces recycled ingot slabs instead of billet and is only 30 minutes away from Bowling Green.

The nearby billet producers differ in how billet fits within their broader operating models.

Bonnell Aluminum’s billet production largely supports its stated objective of internal, end-to-end manufacturing and represents the smallest billet capacity among the regional facilities.

Hydro’s billet operations generally function separately from its extrusion division, even though billet is internally consumed, while Matalco’s business model centers on producing billet for external sale rather than captive downstream use.

Potential end market

AKFA’s aluminum activities largely serve the non-residential architectural and building-envelope applications, though there is some focus in automotive and renewable energy sectors.

Across its operating divisions, the company produces aluminum systems for windows and doors, façade systems, sliding systems, metal structures, and aluminum composite panels.

For instance, one of AKFA Group’s integral operation divisions related to semi-fabricated aluminum products is Benkam Alu Extrusions. Unlike AKFA’s downstream branded windows, doors, and façade system subsidiaries, Benkam focuses on the production of 6XXX-series aluminum extrusions.

Benkam established a US office presence in Virginia, though that location does not include manufacturing operations. It does, however, indicate prior commercial positioning within the US market before the decision to commit capital to domestic production.

These product categories suggest that the Bowling Green operation will primarily support building- and construction-oriented demand. That said, in addition to its core architectural systems, certain AKFA subsidiaries operating under names other than the AKFA brand also manufacturing aluminum radiators.

While the press release does not specify whether radiator production will occur at the Bowling Green site, the group’s broader manufacturing portfolio indicates experience across both architectural and thermal applications.

No construction completion date or expected production capacity has been disclosed.

The company indicated that the project will proceed through site development and equipment installation before operations begin, with additional details on timing and output likely to emerge as the buildout advances.