Arconic’s construction lineup and EPD coverage
Arconic shows up in building specs in two ways: through Kawneer’s façade systems and through aluminum sheet, plate, and extrusions that feed fabricators. If you sell into envelopes or work with upstream aluminum, this snapshot tells you where Arconic’s products are covered by EPDs, where the gaps are, and how that affects specability when LEED v5 minded teams ask for third‑party declarations.
Who Arconic is, in one minute
Arconic is a major aluminum producer supplying sheet, plate and extrusions to transportation, aerospace, industrial and building markets. Its Building & Construction Systems business centers on the Kawneer brand in North America, with locations spanning design, fabrication and service. See their sustainability hub for current goals and reporting (Sustainability at Arconic).
Arconic reports a 10.9% year‑over‑year reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions in its latest report, which signals momentum behind lower‑carbon supply for customers who care about scope 3 claims (Arconic Sustainability Report, 2025). Recycling helps here: remelting aluminum typically saves about 95% of the energy vs primary production, a lever that matters when LCAs get tight (International Aluminium Institute, 2025).
What they sell into buildings
Two big streams hit construction projects.
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Architectural systems under Kawneer. Think curtain wall, unitized and traditional, storefront framing, windows and window wall, entrances and doors, plus sun‑control components. That is a broad catalogue with many variant options, easily in the hundreds of SKUs when finishes, thermal breaks and glazing configurations are counted.
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Upstream aluminum. Arconic supplies flat‑rolled sheet and plate and extrusions used by fabricators and system houses. These are less visible on a submittal cover sheet, but they show up in rainscreen cassettes, spandrel backpans, roof edge metals and custom profiles.
EPD coverage at a glance
Coverage is strongest where Kawneer sells finished systems. Architects and GCs can find current, product‑specific EPDs for core families such as curtain wall, storefront framing and multiple window types. Several EPDs address aluminum extrusions and framing‑only or glass‑only variants, which helps when a spec splits scope across trades. In simple terms, Kawneer’s high‑runner systems are largely covered today.
For upstream aluminum, Arconic’s coverage is thinner from a building‑specific standpoint. Fabricator‑grade sheet, plate and coil‑coated options are not widely represented by product‑specific EPDs under the Arconic name. Teams often fall back to industry‑average EPDs or competitor product EPDs when they need precise numbers for envelope components, and that can dull a sales story.
Recent portfolio moves worth noting
In 2025, Arconic’s North American cladding unit, Arconic Architectural Products LLC in Eastman, GA, was acquired by Hoover Treated Wood Products and now operates as Hoover Architectural Solutions with Reynobond, Reynoplate and Reynoclad offerings. That change means cladding EPD ownership, updates and messaging will flow from Hoover going forward, not Arconic. In parallel, Arconic has continued to emphasize Kawneer in North America.
Where the EPDs are solid vs soft
- Solid: Kawneer systems that specifiers request most often, including unitized and stick curtain wall, storefronts and several window families. These EPDs are easy to point to during submittals, which keeps projects moving.
- Softer: coil‑coated sheet and custom plate components specified for rainscreens, soffits or roof edge details under Arconic supply. Where a product‑specific EPD is missing, project teams may assign conservative factors and move to a competitor with a clean declaration. That is frustrating and it’s avoidable.
Competitive reality on projects
Kawneer regularly faces YKK AP America, EFCO, and Apogee brands such as Tubelite and Wausau for envelope systems across offices, education, healthcare and civic work. On cladding, spec‑equivalent ACM brands like ALUCOBOND and ALPOLIC promote readily available, product‑specific EPDs. Glazing partners like Viracon often bring their own EPDs to the table, which makes the envelope package feel complete.
If a likely best‑seller lacks an EPD, such as a popular coil‑coated aluminum option for rainscreen cassettes, submittals can stall. Specifiers then pivot to a brand with a published EPD for essentially the same visual and performance target. That swap does not require redesign, only different paperwork, so the risk of displacement is high.
What this means for commercial teams
Project teams increasingly prefer product‑specific, third‑party verified EPDs because without one they must use conservative defaults, which can hurt whole‑building carbon targets under evolving owner standards and LEED v5 language. With an EPD in hand, the product competes on performance and lead time, not just price. The price of the declaration is very often recouped with a single mid‑sized win, though every scope differs.
Fast path to close the gaps
- Prioritize declarations for the few upstream aluminum SKUs that show up again and again in façades, for example coil‑coated sheet thicknesses and common extrusion profiles that feed rainscreens or sun‑shades. Pick the same PCRs competitors use so comparisons land apples to apples.
- Bundle families. When a window or curtain wall platform has many options, structure one master model and parameterize glass makeups, thermal breaks and finishes so renewal is quick.
- Watch PCR clocks. If renewals are within the next few quarters, queue data work now so validity never lapses during bid season.
- Publish where customers already look, and mirror metadata so distributors and reps can pull the right declarations in seconds.
Bottom line for specability
Arconic’s building footprint is broad, with Kawneer delivering strong EPD coverage across flagship systems and upstream aluminum still presenting opportunities. If the cladding and coil‑coated side gets product‑specific EPDs, Arconic defends more specs and wins more often when owners ask for declarations. Otherwise, competitors will quietly win that last‑mile paperwork war. This is one of those places where getting the admin right definately pays off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Arconic product lines most often appear on building submittals and already have EPDs?
Kawneer’s core systems, including unitized and traditional curtain wall, storefront framing and several window families, have current product‑specific EPDs. Some declarations also cover aluminum extrusion content and framing‑only or glass‑only variants, which helps when multiple trades split scope.
Where are the most material EPD gaps today for Arconic supply into envelopes?
Upstream aluminum that fabricators buy, such as coil‑coated sheet, plate and certain commodity extrusions. These are common in rainscreens, backpans, and roof edge details. Filling those with product‑specific EPDs would reduce the need for industry‑average stand‑ins that can penalize bids.
Who shows up most often as competitors on the same projects?
For systems: YKK AP America, EFCO, and Apogee brands like Tubelite and Wausau. For cladding: ALUCOBOND and ALPOLIC. For glass: Viracon. Many of these manufacturers already publish product‑specific EPDs, which can sway a spec when owners require declarations.
Does Arconic have credible sustainability progress to support lower‑carbon narratives in bids?
Yes. Arconic reported a 10.9% year‑over‑year reduction in GHG emissions in its 2024 Sustainability Report (Arconic Sustainability Report, 2025). Aluminum recycling also saves about 95% of the energy compared to primary production, which supports lower impacts when scrap content is high (International Aluminium Institute, 2025).
About the Author
Walker Ryan is a climate-tech entrepreneur focused on driving industrial decarbonization through better data. As the founder and CEO of Parq, he helps manufacturers generate high-quality, third-party–verified carbon disclosures at scale—accelerating a traditionally slow and expensive process. Before starting Parq, Walker led over $200 million in sustainability-focused investments as VP of Strategy & Growth at ReStream Solutions, following earlier experience in investment banking at Deutsche Bank. He brings a rare mix of capital markets expertise and hands-on sustainability knowledge to tackling the infrastructure of industrial emissions.
