Universal Alloy to Build a Plant in Georgia

A large Orange County aluminum mill said it plans to build a factory in Georgia to handle growing business on the East Coast and the Midwest.

Universal Alloy Corp. said it will spend $10 million for the 105,000-square-foot plant, which will employ up to 300 workers after opening in early 1998. Universal makes high-tech extruded aluminum parts for the aircraft industry.

John Ball, Universal’s president and chief executive officer, said the company’s headquarters manufacturing plant in Anaheim, which now serves customers worldwide, will focus on the West Coast and Pacific Rim markets.

The 37-year-old company has about 200 employees at its 170,000-square-foot plant in Anaheim. Universal is owned by Swiss manufacturer Menziken Aerospace Group.