Construction of Nucor Steel Brandenburg begins in Kentucky

Nucor has commenced the construction of its $1.7bn steel plate manufacturing mill in Kentucky. Called Nucor Steel Brandenburg, the new steel mill will be located in the Buttermilk Falls Industrial Park along the Ohio River in Brandenburg. Nucor is a U.S-based company that specializes in the production of steel and related products.

The plant measures 1.5 million sf and is expected to produce 1.2 million tonnes of steel plate every year. According to the company, the project will create an additional 400 full-time jobs as well as around 1,500 contractor jobs during its construction.

Among the jobs that will be created include production specialists, equipment operators, engineers, safety and environmental technicians, and office support staff. The project is expected to create an average of 960 temporary jobs and around 1,500 jobs during the peak stage.

Construction of the Nucor Steel Brandenburg is projected to be complete by 2022. In a statement, Nucor president and CEO Leon Topalian said the company’s main mission is to offer support to neighboring communities. He noted that for more than a decade that they have done business in the state, they have come to entrench the company’s mission and values into the people.

“We have been doing business in the state for more than a decade and have found that the people of Kentucky share our company’s values of hard work, determination, and teamwork.”

Topalian appreciated the local administration led by Gov. Beshear and local officials in Meade County for being very supportive of the project. The company, according to Topalian, will seek to build a vibrant Brandenburg community that will be developed for decades to come.

The project is strategically located along the Ohio River, which will offer logistical advantages to Nucor in sourcing the directly reduced scrap metal and iron by barge. Nucor recently completed the first phase of an $826m expansion project at its Kentucky-based Nucor Steel Gallatin mill.