BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice and officials at Commercial Metals Company, also known as CMC, have announced that Berkeley County will be the home of the company's fourth micro-mill.
Projected to cost approximately $450 million, the facility will produce rebar and is projected to begin operating in late 2025. Justice said he's honored to welcome an environmentally friendly steelmaker to the Mountain State.
"We're honored that CMC selected our great state as the home for this state-of-the-art facility, set to be one of the most environmentally friendly steelmaking operations in the world," Justice said.
"The Mountain State has a proud history in the steel industry and this investment is yet another example of West Virginia welcoming this industry into our state."
CMC turns scrap into new, sustainable steel products by recycling more than 19 billion pounds of metal each year. Its steel is featured in our nation's highways, bridges, and industrial structures.
The new facility in the Eastern Panhandle is expected to have the capacity to produce 500,000 tons of straight-length rebar and premium spooled rebar. Spooled rebar boasts less waste, increased productivity, and improved safety, according to the company.
According to Barbara R. Smith, chairman of the board, president, and chief executive officer of Commercial Metals Co., the state and county were vital in helping establish the site.
"We would like to thank Governor Jim Justice, the entire West Virginia economic development team, and Berkeley County staff for the support provided during CMC's site selection process and for the welcome given to this important project," Smith said.
"We look forward to becoming a vital part of the Berkeley County community and growing our presence in the Mountain State."
CMC provides customers with the lowest emissions steel in the market as every CMC mill uses electric energy and 100 percent recycled scrap to produce products.
Building on its foundation as a metals recycling company, CMC created the world's first successfully operating micro mill, a plant with a smaller footprint that uses energy more efficiently than traditional mills.
West Virginia Secretary of Economic Development Mitch Carmichael said the Berkeley County and the state were ideally suited to the project.
“CMC will be a tremendous asset to West Virginia and we are thrilled to welcome them to the Mountain State,” Carmichael said. “There’s no doubt that West Virginia is the best place for this micro mill.”
Commercial Metals and its subsidiaries manufacture, recycle and fabricate steel and metal products and provide related materials and services through a network of facilities that includes seven electric arc furnace (“EAF”) mini mills, two EAF micro mills, one rerolling mill, steel fabrication and processing plants, construction-related product warehouses, and metal recycling facilities in the United States and Poland.
Through its Tensar division, CMC is a leading global provider of innovative ground and soil stabilization solutions selling into more than 80 national markets through two major product lines: Tensar geogrids and Geopier foundation systems.
