September 2012
| Business World Magazine | 105
number of issues,” he explains. “We really see
ourselves as a very effective and important
advocate of the industry.”
The Aluminum Association works hard
to achieve a delicate relationship on “both
sides of the aisle” with all levels of govern-
ment, Brock says. “It’s a continuous educa-
tional process because there’s always turn-
over with people that are responsible for
regulating you or inspecting your operations.
It’s a continuous educational process for us
to convey what we’re doing in the aluminum
industry – how we’re doing it and how we’re
working to operate safely and sustainably.”
“
It’s also an opportunity for us to be lis-
tening for a chance to do more research or
take new positions,” she adds.
Because of their well-maintained gov-
ernment relationships, the Association has
been successful in influencing government
policy. For example, their Vice-President of
Environment and Health and Safety Charles
Johnson recently testified on the association’s
behalf during hearings on recycling legisla-
tion. “We have a very good dialogue going
with the Environmental Protection Agency
(
EPA) to help them understand the impact
of some of the things they are imposing that
