Steel Mills

Nucor to Build Steel Plate Mill in Kentucky

March 28, 2019

Nucor has announced that it will build a new steel plate mill in Brandenburg, Ky. The $1.35 billion mill will be capable of producing 1.2 million tons of steel plate products per year. The mill is scheduled to be operational in 2022, pending permit and regulatory approvals.

The plant will have the ability to produce 97 percent of the products demanded in the domestic plate market, including specialty higher-margin products. Production will include cut-to-length, coiled, heat-treated, and discrete plate ranging from 60 to 160 inches wide and in gauges from 3/16th to 14 inches, the company said.

The plant will be strategically located on the Ohio River allowing it to source raw materials by barge and serve customers throughout the Midwest.

Nucor has two other major projects under way at its Gallatin sheet mill in Kentucky, adding a new galvanizing line and increasing hot rolled capacity at expanded widths of up to 73 inches. The galvanizing line will be operational in second-quarter 2019 and the additional coil capacity will be online in 2021.

“This strategic investment will enable us to build a clear market leadership position in the U.S. plate market. Kentucky is an excellent location for this mill, right in the center of America’s largest plate consuming region,” said John Ferriola, Chairman, CEO & President of Nucor Corp. “Our acquisition of the Gallatin sheet mill in Ghent, Ky., five years ago has been a tremendous success, and we are pleased to add a second mill in the state.”

Nucor plans to hire 400 full-time team members with an average salary of $72,000.