Nucor To Add $75 Million Steel Process To Blytheville Facility

The largest structured steel facility in the western hemisphere will be getting a little larger as Nucor announced Friday a major investment project at its Blytheville mill.

Charlotte, N.C.-based Nucor Corp. announced that its subsidiary, Nucor-Yamato Steel Company – a joint venture between Nucor and Yamato Kogyo Co. Ltd – will install a $75 million Quench and Self-Tempering (QST) process to be utilized on its 1.4 million tons of Mill 2 rolling capacity. The work will take place at Nucor’s facility in Blytheville.

The project is expected to be commissioned during the second half of 2016. Upon completion, the process will give Nucor the ability to produce ASTM A913 Grade 65 and Grade 70 structural sections with a high-strength, low-alloy grade chemistry that provides “excellent weldability while achieving good toughness at low temperatures,” according to a company release.

“This strategic investment will keep Nucor-Yamato Steel the market leader in the wide-flange beam market servicing our customers across the United States,” said Nucor Chairman, CEO and President John Ferriola. “The A913 market is a strategic part of the future of our company and will ensure we continue to meet and exceed our customers’ needs and requirements. Additionally, this investment will enable Nucor-Yamato, its more than 900 teammates and families, and supply chain to remain a vibrant part of Northeast Arkansas today and well into the future.”

Nucor said common applications for the material to be manufactured with the new line will include gravity columns for use in high-rise buildings, long-span trusses for projects such as convention centers or stadiums, and for all projects where seismic design is a critical factor.

“We are excited that Nucor is making this significant investment here in Arkansas,” said Gov. Asa Hutchinson. “Nucor has been an important part of Arkansas’s economy for almost three decades and this investment shows their continued commitment to our state.”

GOVERNOR: NUCOR HAS HAD IMPACT IN REGION
Hutchinson, who spoke at the announcement, said the company has been active both economically and in the community for nearly three decades. He said the company has not laid off anyone in its nearly 30 years in Blytheville, as well as helping worthwhile projects.

“I was talking to the State Trooper, who is from Luxora, on the way over here. He said the company has donated to the Boys and Girls Club at Luxora. It is something you should all be proud of,” Hutchinson said.

Another area of pride, Hutchinson said, is that the steel made in Blytheville by Nucor has been used to renovate Centennial Bank Stadium, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium as well as AT&T Stadium; as well as the Freedom Tower in New York City.

Hutchinson used the podium to talk about his administration’s support for increasing workforce training as well as computer coding in the state’s schools.

“We were the first in the nation to mandate computer coding in the classroom,” Hutchinson said, noting 1,800 students have enrolled and $5 million has been set aside for the project. Hutchinson said the computer coding initiative has spread to New York City.

“Mayor DeBlasio has said he is mandating computer coding over the next 10 years,” Hutchinson said. “So it is taking New York City 10 years what it took Arkansas to accomplish in 10 months.”

Hutchinson said Nucor and the steel industry in Arkansas have had a strong impact in the state’s economy. Mississippi County is currently second in the country in steel production, officials said, but it has the highest unemployment rate in the state.

In addition to the jobs in the industry, Hutchinson said the industry and Nucor provide a “real marketing tool” for the state by creating products that could one day land a major industry like a car plant. Hutchinson also credited the work of Mississippi County residents, who approved a one-cent sales tax for economic development, several years ago.

“They are reaping the benefits of that investment,” Hutchinson said, noting the expansion also shows the confidence of Nucor officials.

CUBA TRIP
On Monday, Hutchinson travels to Cuba for a three-day trade mission.

Hutchinson said the trip, which ends Wednesday (Sept. 30), will help to focus on setting the stage for Arkansas products in the Caribbean nation.

Among the products to be discussed include rice and poultry, Hutchinson said.