In 1916 (some sources say 1914),
Chinese American mining engineer Kuo-Ching "KC" Li Sr. founded the company in
New York state, under the name Wah Chang Trading Corporation.
Wah Chang is
Cantonese for "fortunate enterprise" This expanded as an international
tungsten ore and concentrate trading company. to learn how to make the metal. This is where he met Wing Muin Mark, who was directing operations at the Titanium Development Plant. Within one year, Mark and Yih collaborated to produce the highest purity titanium in the world. In 1956, the Energy Commission (AEC) contracted with Wah Chang to reopen the
U.S. Bureau of Mines zirconium plant in Millersburg, near
Albany, Oregon, to develop high-purity
zirconium for use in the
United States Navy's nuclear program. After Wah Chang was granted an additional two-year contract, it decided to build its own zirconium production facility.
Teledyne years (1967–1996) Wah Chang was privately owned by K.C. Li until 1967, when it was acquired by
Teledyne, the main Albany plant (located in the then-unincorporated area known as
Millersburg) becoming a
subsidiary named
Teledyne Wah Chang Albany, or TWCA. In 1966, Wah Chang had around 1,200 employees, in plants in Albany, Oregon;
Glen Cove, New York;
Huntsville, Alabama; and
Texas City, Texas, and sales of $40.7 million. The Albany plant was by far the largest, and at the time of its sale to Teledyne, it accounted for around $20 million in annual revenue, with 860 employees at that location. In the early 1970s, Wing Mark proposed the idea of making high-purity Hafnium Crystal Bar to Teledyne Wah Chang Albany. He went on to design the production plant, equipment, and process which produced a 99.99999% Hafnium purity, earning him the nickname, “Mr. Hafnium.” In 1975, TWCA had 1,400 employees, The site violated wastewater discharge permits in 1975, 1977, and 1978. It also had water quality permit violations in 1979, 1980, 1989, and was fined for illegal open burning in 1983, and there was a hazardous waste fire in 2018.
Allegheny Technologies subsidiary (1996–present) After TWCA merged with Allegheny Ludlum Corporation in 1996, to become
Allegheny Technologies Incorporated, the company became
ATI Wah Chang. == Wah Chang people ==