Center for Strategic Industrial Materials

Center for Strategic Industrial Materials

CENTER FOR STRATEGIC INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS

The Center for Strategic Industrial Materials is a new policy initiative designed to advance the security and diversity of strategic material supply chains in North America.

The Center’s initial focus will be the growth and decarbonization of North American primary aluminum production.

Why aluminum?

  • Aluminum is vital to the transition to a more sustainable energy future as a key material in green technologies from electric vehicles to solar panels.
  • A strong North American production sector could become the cornerstone of an innovative manufacturing ecosystem benefiting automakers, defense contractors, packaging firms and other industries.

The aluminum sector is expected to grow over the next twenty years as government leaders pursue policies to ensure secure supply chains of vital materials while also improving environmental outcomes. Examining the feasibility of reshoring primary aluminum production to expand U.S. capacity could reduce the industry’s carbon emissions, as well as provide a cost advantage to U.S. automakers as they work to increase electric vehicle production.

Center objectives:

  • Propose new federal government purchasing regulations that prioritizes N.A. primary aluminum.
  • Develop policy recommendations designed to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2035.
  • Create the Aluminum Business Council, a group of producers, customers and stakeholders that will provide guidance and insight to revitalize aluminum smelters using clean technologies.

News

SAFE Speaks at National Press Club on the National Security Impact of U.S.-Nippon Steel Merger
SAFE Speaks on Capitol Hill on the Importance of Increasing Domestic Heavy Manufacturing
SAFE Applauds Treasury Department’s Proposed Guidance on 45X Aluminum Provision
SAFE Testifies Before the U.S. International Trade Commission on Clean Domestic Aluminum Supply Chains

Team

Joe Quinn

Vice President of Strategic Industrial Materials

Joe Quinn leads the Center for Strategic Industrial Materials, a new policy initiative dedicated to advancing more secure and sustainable supply chains for aluminum and other industrial materials critical to America’s national and economic security.  Quinn is developing a framework designed to ensure resilient and domestic aluminum production. 

Prior to joining SAFE, Quinn served as the Vice President of External Affairs & Industry Relations at the Aluminum Association. He raised the industry’s profile, created the Congressional Aluminum Caucus, set new membership records, and served as a strategic advisor to the industry on trade and energy issues.  

Previously, Quinn worked at public relations firms positioning organizations favorably with key opinion leaders to advance policy initiatives. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Public Affairs Council. A Cincinnati native, he received his B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina.  

The Center for Strategic Industrial Materials is a project of the Commanding Heights Initiative.