Gov. Jim Justice announced today that Nucor Corporation has selected Mason County in western West Virginia as the location for a state-of-the-art sheet steel mill.
The record investment will exceed $2.7 billion, making it the largest in West Virginia history, as well as the largest single investment Nucor has ever made, Justice said.
“This is a landmark announcement in the history of our state,” he said.
“Nucor’s brand new facility is going to be a key part of West Virginia’s DNA long into the future. It’s going to change lives by bringing hundreds of great-paying jobs to Mason County, and the economic ripple effects will bring even more goodness to our state.
Nucor Corporation, the largest steel producer in the U.S., is a Fortune 150 company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Nucor produces steel by recycling scrap metal in electric arc furnaces, making the company North America’s largest recycler of any material.
This steelmaking process makes Nucor one of the cleanest steel producers in the world and a leader in sustainable steel production, Justice said.
“I sincerely thank Nucor for their commitment to West Virginia and for allowing us to showcase our ability to compete with other states for major manufacturing facilities like this.
"From the very first call with their CEO, I knew they shared the values that we in West Virginia share as well, ones that will make us great partners for generations to come. It took a team of people to pull this off, and I am immensely proud of all those involved.”
Leon Topalian, president and CEO of Nucor, hailed the state-of-the-art facility as advanced and sustainable.
“We are incredibly excited to be building this new steel mill in West Virginia. This will be the world’s most advanced sheet steel mill producing the most sustainable steel that will build our nation’s modern 21st-century economy,” Topalian said.
“This is a transformational project that will have a significant economic impact in Mason County and surrounding areas. We look forward to being part of the community for decades to come.”
Upon completion, the mill is expected to create approximately 800 high-quality manufacturing jobs. Construction of the state-of-the art facility, which will begin in 2022, will create an additional 1,000 jobs. Nucor employs 28,000 teammates at approximately 300 facilities located primarily in North America. Nucor teammates are among the highest paid and most productive in the steel industry.
The mill will have the capacity to produce up to three million tons of sheet steel per year for the automotive, appliance, HVAC, heavy equipment, agricultural, transportation, and construction markets.
It will also include advanced downstream processing capabilities, including a tandem cold mill, annealing capabilities, and initially two galvanizing lines. Galvanizing capabilities will include an advanced high-end automotive line with full inspection capabilities as well as a construction-grade line.
Nucor expects the Mason County facility to be operational by 2024. The company also announced it is considering building a trans-loading and processing center in the northern part of the state in order to create a broader logistics network to better serve its customers in the upper Midwest and Northeast regions. This facility would create additional jobs in the state.
John Farris, Vice President & General Manager of Nucor Steel West Virginia, thanked state officials for their help securing the site.
“We thank Governor Jim Justice, Secretary Mitch Carmichael and the West Virginia Department of Economic Development, Speaker of the House of Delegates Roger Hanshaw, Senate President Craig Blair, and the local officials in Mason County for their partnership and support of this project,” Farris said.
“We look forward to breaking ground in Mason County and becoming an active member of this community by partnering with colleges and universities on workforce development programs, supporting veterans’ organizations and local food pantries, and working with opioid recovery programs that will provide meaningful pathways to jobs.”
West Virginia competed against our neighboring states, especially Ohio and Pennsylvania, to attract the company. The process began in August 2021 and included site location assistance, data analysis, and relationship developments throughout the state. The coordinated effort of state, local, and regional organizations made West Virginia a leader during the competitive site search.
Mitch Carmichael, secretary for the state Department of Economic Development, spoke to the hard work that helped bring Nucor to the Mountain State.
“This is an enormous accomplishment for the great state of West Virginia,” Carmichael said.
“It is an honor to share in this announcement of Nucor’s new location in Mason County. There was a lot of hard work and dedication that went into making this a reality and there’s no doubt that West Virginia is the best place for this steel mill. We give a warm welcome and look forward to supporting the Nucor team as they succeed in West Virginia.”
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