HOWMET INTERNATIONAL INC
8-K, 2000-03-15
AIRCRAFT ENGINES & ENGINE PARTS
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                                UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549




                                    FORM 8-K

                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

          Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 14, 2000



                            HOWMET INTERNATIONAL INC.
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


                                    Delaware
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)


            1-13645                                        52-1946684
      --------------------                          -----------------------
      Commission File Number                     IRS Employer Identification No.


         475 Steamboat Road, Greenwich, CT             06830
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
        (Address of principal executive offices)      (Zip Code)


                                   (203) 661-4600
                                   --------------
                             Registrant's Telephone Number




<PAGE>


Item 5 OTHER EVENTS
- -------------------
(a) The following news release was issued on March 14, 2000.

ALCOA INTENDS TO ACQUIRE PUBLICLY HELD HOWMET SHARES

Greenwich,  CT - Howmet International Inc., (NYSE:HWM)  (www.howmet.com)  stated
                                                        ----------------
that  Alcoa  Inc.  has  advised  Howmet  that it  intends,  promptly  after  the
commencement  of Alcoa's  tender offer for Cordant  Technologies,  to enter into
discussions  with the  Independent  Directors  Committee  of the Howmet Board of
Directors to pursue the acquisition of the publicly-held Howmet shares.  Cordant
Technologies  stated  that it expects to  participate  in these  discussions  as
appropriate.

Howmet  said that  Cordant  had made a  proposal  to the  independent  Directors
Committee last Friday  evening to acquire all publicly  traded Howmet Shares for
$18.75 per share, but following further discussions no agreement was reached.

Howmet  also said that it had  amended  its  Corporate  Agreement  with  Cordant
Technologies.  Under the  amended  agreement,  Cordant has agreed not to acquire
Howmet shares if it would reduce the number of publicly-held shares below 14% of
the  outstanding  shares,   unless  (1)  the  acquisition  is  approved  by  the
Independent  Directors  Committee,  or (2) the  acquisition is accomplished by a
tender offer for all publicly-held shares that is conditioned upon the tender of
a majority of the  publicly-held  shares,  with a merger  following  on the same
terms, or (3) the acquisition is accomplished by a merger that has been approved
by the affirmative  vote of a majority of the  publicly-held  shares.  Alcoa has
separately  agreed with Howmet to be bound by the same  limitations  as Cordant.
These   arrangements   were   approved  by  the  full  Howmet   Board  with  the
recommendation and concurrence of the Independent Directors Committee.

The  Committee  and the Board also  approved  Alcoa's  becoming  an  "interested
stockholder" of Howmet under Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law
as a result of Alcoa's merger agreement with Cordant.

Cordant  Technologies owns  approximately 84.6 percent of the outstanding Howmet
shares, and had proposed in November 1999 a purchase of the publicly held shares
for  $17.00  per share.  Cordant's  proposal  was  referred  to the  Independent
Directors  Committee of the Howmet Board of Directors,  which retained  separate
legal and financial advisors.

Headquartered  in  Greenwich,  CT,  Howmet  International  Inc.,  is the world's
largest  manufacturer  of  precision  castings,  primarily  for jet aircraft and
industrial gas turbine engines.  Howmet and its affiliates operate 29 production
facilities in the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and Japan.

This press release includes forward-looking statements, including those relating
to the proposal to purchase Howmet's publicly held shares.  Pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Private  Securities  Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the
Company  cautions  readers that such  forward-looking  statements are subject to
certain  risks and  uncertainties,  which could cause  actual  results to differ
materially   from  those  projected  in  those   statements.   These  risks  and
uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the effects of aerospace industry
economic conditions and cyclicality,  the nature of the company's customer base,
competition,  pricing  pressures,  and others  detailed in the Company's  Annual
Report on Form 10-K for 1998 and other  reports  filed with the  Securities  and
Exchange Commission.

                             (End of Press Release)


                                    SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the  requirements  of the  Securities  and Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                    HOWMET INTERNATIONAL INC.
                                    (Registrant)

                                    By:  /s/ Roland A. Paul
                                        --------------------
                                        Roland A. Paul
                                        Vice President, General
                                        Counsel and Secretary
Date: March 15, 2000



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