High costs could foil Badin Works' future.

• Position: Brief Article

Badin was built of aluminum. Mayor Tom Garrison's elementary and high schools were bankrolled by Pittsburgh-based Aluminum Company of America Inc. Since opening its Badin Works smelting plant in 1916, Alcoa has been one of Stanly County's biggest taxpayers. Its $625,971 bill last year was nearly double anybody else's. Until Badin incorporated in 1990, Alcoa was the de facto local government, providing police, sweeping the streets and decorating them with lights at Christmas. It's still the main patron of the volunteer fire department.

Now the plant, which employs more than 400 in this town of less than 1,500, wants some payback. Alcoa has threatened to shut Badin Works, older and smaller than most of its operations, unless it can cut costs by $5.5 million a year. Plant manager Bruce Cox, who had until mid-November to nick 4 cents off what it costs to produce each pound of aluminum, met with local and state officials to ask for help.

State Commerce officials offered a 7% tax credit for machinery upgrades the past few years. The...