Who makes it: The fastest-growing U.S. aluminum companies

Aluminum brings to mind foil to wrap leftovers and soda cans. The truth is, aluminum's impact on the U.S. economy reaches far further than these two iconic products.

Aluminum enables strong, light-weight and eco-friendly cars. Manufacturers use them to create bulletproof shielding on Bradley tanks. Aluminum is in kettles, toasters and other kitchen utensils.

In construction, aluminum encases windows and strengthens bridges, railings and rods. Aircraft, boats and trains rely on aluminum. Its conductivity and weight make it ideal for power lines.

Aluminum even has a robust afterlife in recycling, with nearly 75 percent of all aluminum ever produced still in use today.

Given its versatility, it is no wonder that aluminum generates nearly $71 billion each year in direct U.S. economic impact and close to $174 billion in indirect economic impact, taking into account all of the ancillary businesses that thrive as a result of its manufacture.

IndustryNet catalogued 940 aluminum companies in the U.S., employing 65,447 individuals and generating sales in excess of $48 billion annually.

Related: How U.S. aluminum buyers are tackling tariffs

While the manufacturing sector as a whole reported a 4-percent growth rate year-over-year, the aluminum industry grew by 5 percent. The industry is strongest in the Midwest, with nearly half of all companies located there.

Below are the top 11 aluminum companies reporting either sales and/or employment growth to IndustryNet:

1. Walker Die Casting, Inc. in Lewisburg, Tennessee employs 850 individuals on-site creating aluminum die castings. In business since 1958, Walker Die Casting's personnel average 10 years of experience each - a depth of knowledge that is uncommon in an age when the typical employee stays in one job for an average of 4.2 years.

2. Intalco Aluminum, LLC in Ferndale, Washington is a division of the worldwide Alcoa Company. Its 575 employees produce billets and ingots used for casting.

In line with Aloca's goals, it has increased its sustainability with a 10.9-percent reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. Seventy-five percent of its energy come from renewable sources.

Finally, Intalco's employees donate hundreds of hours of community volunteer service each year.

3. Casting, large-scale extrusions and anodizing are only some of the services offered by the 450 employees of Delair, New Jersey's Aluminum Shapes, LLC. With the foundry, extrusion, anodizing and fabrication all located under one roof, Aluminum Shapes is the one-stop-shop for quality aluminum products.

4. The leading supplier for wheel ends and aluminum castings for commercial vehicles, Consolidated Metco, Inc. employs 300 individuals in Monroe, North Carolina. Consolidated Metco is an original equipment manufacturer as well as a supplier of after-market parts.

Since 1964, the company has led the market in light-weight parts for heavy-duty vehicles.

5. Glenn Stahl, founder of Stahl Specialty Company in Kingsville, Missouri, pioneered a new process for creating aluminum castings when he created the mold tilt pour process.

The current 250 employees embrace the founder's pioneering spirit, growing the company into one of the largest permanent mold foundries in the country.

6. Eck Industries, Inc., founded in 1948 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, began as a foundry and quickly branched out to create computer castings for the aircraft industry. Since 1948, Eck Industries has grown from eight employees and five customers to 245 employees and 110 customers. Today the company utilizes dry sand molding complete with thermal sand reclamation, rather than the old molds.

7. Reynolds Consumer Products in Malvern, Arkansas manufactures the iconic Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil. Its 200 employees also create Geosystems, a product line of environmentally-friendly soil stabilization, porous pavement and construction mat products. Reynolds provides design, manufacture and installation for the multi-industrial use products.

8. Serving a wide variety of industries such as appliance, automotive, green and industrial with their die casting capabilities, RCM Industries, Inc. in Franklin Park, Illinois began as a small die casting company in a garage in 1951. From being a local supplier with a handful of employees to become a 200-person corporation serving customers nationally, RCM Industries is now one of the largest privately-owned die cast companies in the country.

9. Extrudex Aluminum, Inc. in North Jackson, Ohio employs 200 individuals in its aluminum extrusion facility. Extrudex produces industrial architectural products for large projects such as Toronto International Airport, Lee Gardens in Hong Kong and several office buildings stateside.

The company also produces residential architectural, consumer and electrical products.

10. Established in 1980 by the Coors Brewing Company, Golden Aluminum, Inc. in Fort Lupton, Colorado employs 185 workers. Its primary mission was to design an aluminum alloy can and tab, complete with the manufacturing process, constructed completely from recycled beverage cans.

The company succeeded within a year and continues to develop new aluminum products to bring to the open marketplace.

11. Alexander Gordon and his son, Jack, founded Gordon Aluminum Industries, Inc. in 1958. While the original Schofield, Wisconsin-based company concentrated solely on extrusions. Since that time, the 180-employee facility has branched out to include fabrication, powder coating and milling. The plant remains family-owned and customer focused to this day.

For more information on U.S. aluminum companies

The information maintained by IndustryNet on the domestic aluminum industry is both comprehensive and up-to-date. A free online search will yield a comprehensive list of aluminum companies by both capabilities and location. The industrial marketplace lists 400,000 U.S. manufacturers as well as suppliers of more than 10,000 parts and services, and provides straightforward tools to request quotes and contact suppliers. For more information, start your search on IndustryNet.