Steel fabrication facility to expand to Little Rock Port
by April 20, 2022 10:43 am 1,762 views
Little Rock's Big Rock Interchange, a W&W|AFCO Steel project.
W&W|AFCO Steel announced Wednesday (April 20) it will be locating a new steel fabrication facility in the former LM Wind Power building at the Port of Little Rock.
The expansion will add another 115 full-time jobs over five years and result in an $18.7 million investment to the company’s operations throughout the state. W&W|AFCO Steel currently has four other locations in Arkansas, including three in Little Rock, employing more than 400 Arkansans combined.
The Port of Little Rock location will allow W&W|AFCO Steel to expand their production of fabricated structural steel used in bridges and commercial buildings.
“For more than a century, W&W|AFCO Steel has been a strong business partner in Arkansas,” said Gov. Asa Hutchinson. “Much of Little Rock’s commercial buildings were built with AFCO steel, and I’m thrilled to see that a company that has invested so much in our community continues to prosper.”
AFCO Steel was founded in Little Rock in 1909. The family-owned company was sold in 2002 to W&W Steel of Oklahoma City, where it is now headquartered. W&W|AFCO Steel is the largest structural steel fabricator and erector in the U.S. The company now has 18 production facilities in 11 states.
“W&W|AFCO Steel’s decision to expand in Little Rock further solidifies our state’s position as a national steel leader,” said Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. “With a skilled workforce and competitive business environment, we continue to build on the economic momentum we’ve been seeing the past couple of years. I’m confident this expansion will continue to allow the company to reach their full potential.”
“Nearly 60 years ago AFCO Steel was one of the first businesses to operate at the Port of Little Rock,” said Little Rock Port Authority Chairman Joe Bailey. “Today’s announcement brings the company full circle, and we look forward to supporting W&W|AFCO Steel as they expand and continue to grow at the Port.”
The company’s steel has been used in such projects as the Tesla Gigafactory in Sparks, Nev.; AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex.; the National September 11th Memorial and Museum in New York, and the Big Rock Interchange in Little Rock.