Steel Mills
SMS to Purchase Building Near Big River Steel
Written by Sandy Williams
February 20, 2015
German steel company SMS is awaiting confirmation from Arkansas state officials to purchase the former Beckmann Volmer building in Osceola, Arkansas. SMS will supply approximately $600 million of steel mill equipment for the future Big River Steel mill.
SMS, a provider of integrated systems for the processing of steel and metals, will supply all plants and equipment for Big River, including the mechanical, electrical and automation systems and the coil logistics.
The building was originally constructed for Beckmann Volmer, a service-engineering company specializing in the production of steel construction for high-tech industries such as manufacture of wind turbines. The state, county and city all contributed funds toward construction of the building to attract Beckmann Volmer to the area to complement the Jonesboro’s Nordex wind turbine facility. Nordex left the region and Beckmann Volmer followed. Osceola and Mississippi county had contributed a combined $5 million to the construction with the state of Arkansas supplying the rest.
Osceola Mayor Dickie Kennemore said funds could not be fully recouped but jobs created by Big River and SMS for the region were worth the loss.
Sandy Williams
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