In 1963, the Romanian Government decided to build the country's first and only aluminum smelter, Alro, in Slatina. The first batch of Romanian aluminum was produced in 1965.

From 1982 to 1989 the smelter's production capacity was gradually brought up to 263,500 tonnes annually.

In 1996, Alro was transformed into a public company with shares traded at the Bucharest Stock Exchange. After the first stage of privatization the government still owned the controlling stake in the Company.

Alro privatization was proposed in 2001-2002 under the PSAL 2 program agreed on with the World Bank.

An international privatization tender ended with a consortium of Marco Group companies (today Vimetco) being selected as the strategic investor in Alro. In October 2002, the Romanian Government entered into a Privatization Agreement with the Marco Consortium.

At present, Vimetco N.V. controls more than 87% of Alro shares. Since Alro was privatized, Vimetco has invested over 210 million US dollars in the company, thus enabling environmental improvements and technological modernization, as well as a 20 percent increase in production (to 184,000 tonnes as of 2002) on that obtaining in the pre-privatisation period.

Producing 288,000 metric tonnes of primary aluminium in 2008, Alro is the largest aluminium smelter in Central and Eastern Europe (excluding CIS). Alro is today one of Romania’s largest companies with an important contribution to the local and national economic development. The company is part of the international industrial and investment group Vimetco NV, which operates in the aluminium industry. Alro's shares are traded on the Bucharest Stock Exchange.

Alro's primary aluminium facilities are located in Slatina and currently comprise a smelter and processing facilities, including a cast house, hot and cold rolling mills and an extrusion shop. The company also owns Alum S.A., an alumina refinery based in Tulcea, which has currently suspended production for a modernisation programme.

Alro's production processes and products have been certified in accordance with international standards ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 18001 (OHSAS 18001). In January 2006 the company obtained Romania's Integrated Environmental Authorization certificate.

Alro’s customers consist of end users and metal traders both within Romania and beyond. More than 80% of Alro's output is sold on the international market through the London Metal Exchange, and based on direct contracts with long-term customers in 25 countries of the world. In fact, Alro products are sold directly throughout the European Union, in Italy, Greece, Austria and Hungary, as well as Turkey, the Balkan countries and the United States.