B.J. Foster celebrated for 50 years of service
Published 12:00 am Saturday, May 15, 2021
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GRAMERCY – New Day Aluminum Holdings and its subsidiaries Noranda Alumina and Noranda Bauxite commemorate B.J. Foster’s 50 years in the aluminum industry, a career which has touched bauxite, alumina and aluminum operations all around the globe.
“There is no other individual who has contributed more to our Jamaican and Louisiana
operations and its people over the last half century than B.J.”, cited John Habisreitinger, chief
operating officer for New Day. “I was fortunate to have been among the countless people that
have had the opportunity to learn from him over the years.”
He added, “While BJ’s impact has spanned the globe, his legacy will forever be rooted in our bauxite and alumina operations, where he is still an instrumental member of our operating team.”
A chemical engineering graduate of Louisiana State University, B.J. started his career with Kaiser
Aluminum & Chemical Corporation, where he held increasing responsible positions including
Vice President of Engineering & Technology for Kaiser’s bauxite, alumina and aluminum
smelting interests in Jamaica, Australia, Europe, Africa and the United States. In that capacity,
he was also instrumental in the redesign and rebuild of the Gramercy alumina refinery in 2001.
After Kaiser, B.J. maintained a close working relationship with the Discovery Bay and Gramercy
sites that continues today, where he remains a technical and executive consultant.
Noranda Alumina’s primary operations and technical building was earlier dedicated the Pat and
B.J. Foster Technical Center by Noranda Alumina Vice President and General Manager Joe
Pampinto and his leadership team.
About New Day: New Day’s holdings include Noranda Alumina, located in Gramercy,
Louisiana, which produces smelter grade alumina for the production of aluminum and chemical
grade aluminas for non-metallurgical applications, as well as Noranda Bauxite, located in St.
Ann, Jamaica, which mines and ships bauxite globally for metallurgical and non-metallurgical
applications. New Day also owns and operates NICHE Chemical, which supplies chemical grade
aluminas to the North American market, along with specialty mineral businesses NICHE Fused
Alumina in La Bâthie, France and NICHE Fused Magnesia in Hull, England. The latest addition
to New Day is ReNew Recycling, which owns and operates ferrous and non-ferrous scrap
processing facilities in North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida and Alabama. New Day is
principally owned by the partners of DADA Holdings. DADA is an investment and
management company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that makes control investments and
manages companies in basic industries, such as metals and mining.