Nucor Targets East Coast, Infrastructure With Third Rebar 'Micro Mill'

“We have recently executed two successful rebar micro mill start-ups and believe the East Coast market will be in need of additional rebar supply in the coming years, particularly with the recent passage of the infrastructure spending bill,” Nucor President and CEO Leon Topalian said in a statement on Monday, Dec. 6.

Nucor started up micro mills in Sedalia, Mo., and Frostproof, Fla., in 2020.

Micro mills have less capacity than traditional rebar mills and are targeted to serve specific locations, giving them a leg up on freight costs from competitng mills farther away.

The South Atlantic region, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, includes the District of Columbia and eight states: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

President Biden signed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill into law in November. Rebar is more closely tied to construction work than most other steel products.

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) estimates that the infrastructure bill authorizes funding for $850 billion in steel-containing infrastructure, which equates to as much as 40-45 million tons of steel demand in total. But that figure drops to $450 billion – or 20-25 million tons of new steel demand – once existing trust funds are considered.

By Michael Cowden, Michael@SteelMarketUpdate.com