The company manufactures components for jet engines, fasteners, titanium structures for aerospace applications, and forged aluminum wheels for heavy trucks.

[2] The firm operates 27 facilities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, France, the UK, China, Brazil, Hungary and Japan.

During the 1930s, Austenal expanded into aircraft engine superchargers with superior castings when General Electric asked for help to improve manufacturing practices for wartime production demands.

[6][7][8][12][13] Its focus became turning aluminum and other lightweight metals into engineered products such as turbine blades for sectors including aerospace and automotive.

Elliott publicly called for firing Arconic's CEO, Klaus Kleinfeld, citing the company's lackluster stock performance, missed profit forecasts, and inefficient spending.

[17] On April 17, 2017, Kleinfeld resigned as chairman and CEO by mutual agreement with the board of Arconic, after sending an unauthorized letter to Elliott.