Steel Products
New Life for Georgetown Wire Rod Mill
Written by Sandy Williams
December 18, 2017
The ArcelorMittal Georgetown wire rod steelworks will get new life under Liberty House, part of the global metals and energy group GFG Alliance, which announced on Monday it has completed the acquisition of Georgetown.
The mill includes an electric arc furnace with a capacity of 540,090 metric tons per year and a 680,000-ton annual capacity rod mill. Liberty House plans to restart melting and rolling at the mill in spring 2018.
The Georgetown mill was shuttered in 2015 after 70 years of operation. An agreement with the United Steelworkers will give key roles on the furnace caster and rolling mill to experienced former employees. Initially, 125 former employees will be hired, and the workforce will be expanded to 250 in the medium term. Liberty is in discussions with the Georgetown Council to create training programs to prepare future workers for the industry.
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GFG Alliance Executive Chairman Sanjeev Gupta said, “Securing the Georgetown furnace and mill is a major milestone for us, marking our first major step in the USA. The melting and rolling facilities here give us a formidable entry to the American market and provide a strong platform for expansion.”
“We’ve already had customers contacting us about placing orders, so we’re keen to get back up and running as quickly as possible,” he added.
Sandy Williams
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