Steel Mills

Big River Steel Joins SMA

August 22, 2019

The Steel Manufacturers Association announced today that Big River Steel has joined the association. SMA President Philip Bell welcomed BRS as an “epicenter for steelmaking innovation.”

Big River Steel is located in Osceola, Ark. It calls itself the world’s first Flex Mill, merging the wide product mix and superior grade capabilities of an integrated mill with the nimbleness and technological advancements of a minimill. It is also the only steel mill in North American to combine an electric arc furnace (EAF) with a Ruhrstahl Heraeus (RH) degasser for cleaner, higher grade steels. The mill has a meltshop capacity of approximately 1.6 million tons per year and recently announced plans for a second phase that would double its capacity by 2021.

David Stickler, chief executive officer of Big River Steel, said: “We are pleased to partner with the SMA and its member companies. The organization is committed to supporting EAF producers with an agenda focused on the steelmaker, a strong safety culture, human resources excellence and environmental stewardship. This, combined with SMA’s entrepreneurial spirit, lean management team and responsiveness to its members, will benefit both Big River Steel and the industry as a whole.”

SMA is the largest steel industry trade association in the United States and is the primary trade association representing North American EAF steel producers. EAF steelmakers account for almost 70 percent of domestic steelmaking capacity using an innovative, 21st century production process that is less energy intensive and has lower carbon emissions than traditional steelmaking. SMA’s 25 producer members and over 100 associate members have operations in 43 states and 105 congressional districts.