Steel Products

NLMK USA Takes More Orders Ahead of Post-Strike Ramp: Exec
Written by Michael Cowden
March 2, 2021
NLMK USA expects United Steelworkers (USW) union members at its steel mill in Farrell, Pa., to return to work on Monday, March 8, a company official said.
The steelmaker plans to ramp up its hot mill in western Pennsylvania in March. April will see downstream facilities resume normal operating rates, NLMK USA Executive Vice President James Banker told Steel Market Update.
The company had already been accepting March orders for hot-rolled coil and April orders for downstream products, Banker said.
“We have been taking additional tons from our customers. … Since we have been booking orders in anticipation of this ramp up, our lead times will remain unchanged,” he said.
NLMK USA has enough slabs in place to support the additional orders, Banker added.
The company operates an electric-arc furnace mill in Portage, Ind., in addition to its slab-rerolling and downstream sheet processing operations in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania mill requires imported slabs to feed its hot-strip mill.
The USW’s return follows the ratification of a new labor contract covering the Farrell mill. USW members at the mill on March 1 voted to approve a new four-year labor agreement, ending a strike that began more than six months ago.
{loadposition reserved_message}
NLMK USA sells hot-rolled coil, hot-rolled pickled and oiled (P&O), cold-rolled coil as well as galvanized products to service centers as well as a range of end-use markets, including HVAC, appliance, and pipe and tube.
The Farrell mill, also known as NLMK Pennsylvania, is the company’s largest plant in the U.S. and makes hot-rolled and cold-rolled coils, according to NLMK USA’s website.
NLMK’s Sharon Coating facility, located in nearby Sharon, Pa., makes galvanized and galvannealed products. It is represented by a different USW local.
The strike at Farrell had contributed to a spot market supply squeeze that has resulted in hot-rolled coil prices hitting new records every week since about mid-January.
NLMK USA’s Farrell hot-strip mill has annual capacity of 1.8 million tons, according to the Association for Iron and Steel Technology’s 2021 Directory of Iron and Steel plants.
The company had continued to operate the mill with salaried staff during the strike, but was not able to run it at its full capacity with USW members not working.
By Michael Cowden, Michael@SteelMarketUpdate.com

Michael Cowden
Read more from Michael CowdenLatest in Steel Products

SMU Community Chat replay now available
The latest SMU Community Chat webinar reply is now available on our website to all members. After logging in at steelmarketupdate.com, visit the community tab and look under the “previous webinars” section of the dropdown menu. All past Community Chat webinars are also available under that selection. If you need help accessing the webinar replay, or if your company […]

SSAB announces $74M expansion in Alabama
The project will expand heat treat capacity at its Axis, Alabama plant

Service centers: Mill orders retreat in March
SMU’s Mill Order Index declined in March after repeated gains at the start of the year, according to our latest service center inventories data.

Nucor maintains plate prices
Nucor aims to keep plate prices flat with the opening of its June order book.

US rig count up, Canada declines
Oil and gas drilling activity was mixed this week, according to Baker Hughes. US rig counts expanded for a second straight week, while Canadian activity continued its seasonal slowdown of eight consecutive weeks.