Steel Mills
Nucor shuttering Chicago tubular facility
Written by Ethan Bernard
September 30, 2024
Nucor plans to close its Nucor Tubular Products (NTP) Chicago facility and will lay off 47 workers.
Layoffs will begin on Wednesday, Nov. 27, according to a WARN Notice filed with the state of Illinois.
A Nucor spokeswoman confirmed on Monday the Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker is restructuring its tubular products business. This includes ending operations at its Chicago production facility.
“The hollow structural steel (HSS) tube market has evolved in recent years, particularly in the smaller-size segment produced at the NTP Chicago facility,” the spokeswoman said in a statement to SMU on Monday.
She noted that as part of the company’s long-term growth strategy, Nucor recently opened a “state-of-the-art tube facility” in Kentucky.
“This new facility, along with our existing NTP facilities in Illinois and Alabama, enables us to produce a broader range of products,” the spokeswoman added.
Nucor plans to maintain a Nucor Tubular Products sales and administrative office in the Chicago area.
“We are working with affected production teammates to find other opportunities within our company,” the spokeswoman said.
Background
The Chicago plant was opened in 1972 as Independence Tube Corp.’s first location, according to Nucor’s website.
Recall that Nucor acquired Independence Tube in 2016 for $435 million. Independence was then a leading independent manufacturer of hollow structural sections (HSS), a type of steel tubing widely used in construction.
Nucor went on to acquire other independent steel tube producers. They included Birmingham, Ala.-based Southland Tube (2016 for $130 million), Republic Conduit (2016 for $335 million), and Hannibal Industries (2021 for $370 million).
One of the goals of that $1.27-billion buying spree was to provide a value-added home to hot-rolled coil produced by Nucor’s steel mills.
Ethan Bernard
Read more from Ethan BernardLatest in Steel Mills
AHMSA opens doors to potential buyers as $1.3B asset auction nears
AHMSA is opening its doors to potential buyers to tour its steel plant and mining operations in northern Mexico in preparation for the next stage of its bankruptcy process: the auction of its assets.
USW seeks clarity on USS plans for Granite City Works
The United Steelworkers union has asked U.S. Steel to elaborate on its Granite City Works plans following reports that the steelmaker is ending processing at the facility.
Nucor maintains plate prices, opens October order book
Nucor aims to keep plate prices flat for a seventh straight month with the opening of its October order book.
ArcelorMittal Mexico to import from sister mills as it works to resume DRI production
ArcelorMittal has partially restarted operations at its direct reduction plant in Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan. An explosion on Aug. 18 rocked the massive steelworks on Mexico’s Pacific coast, impacting production of direct-reduced iron (DRI).
Fall maintenance outages are coming in hot
Labor Day has passed, the sun is starting to set a little earlier each day, and cooler weather has begun to find its way down to many of us across North America. And you know what that means for the steel industry… Fall maintenance outages!