North American Stainless, a stainless steel production company, along with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, announced a massive 4.4 million square foot expansion to their mill located in the northern Carroll County town of Ghent.
The expansion costs a total of $244 million and is projected to create 70 full time jobs. The project represents the company’s 13th expansion to the mill since 1990, according to a press release from the company. The mill is situated on 1,600 acres in Carroll County, located along the Ohio River. Currently, North American Stainless is the largest fully integrated stainless steel producer in the United States.
“I’m excited to announce more growth in Kentucky’s metals industry with this latest investment from North American Stainless,” said Beshear. “NAS is a leading stainless steel producer in the United States, and all the company’s production lines are located at the company’s headquarters in Carroll County. I want to thank its leaders for continuing to put their faith in Kentucky’s workforce and investing in the commonwealth.”
In total, the project will consist of adding a new cold rolling mill, new roll grinders, upgrades of anneal and pickling lines to support the new rolling mill, a new temper mill and the expansion of the melt shop in order to build to add a 400-metric-ton crane, the announcement stated.
The expansion is projected to increase North American Stainless’ total capacity by 200,000 tons annually. This would mark a 20% growth in total production.
North American Stainless offers a full range of stainless flats including slabs, billets, plate, sheet and strip, as well as long products including wire, rods, angles and rebar. Their production lines are consolidated to one site, which allows the company to avoid delays that are common in mills.
“We are proud to lead America’s stainless steel economy, support our national security with our production and create great jobs for our region,” said Cristobal Fuentes, CEO of North American Stainless. “Our latest expansion will bring more clean, sustainable and American-made stainless to consumers and directly compete with the subsidized imports of stainless.”
David Wilhoite, the Carroll County Judge/Executive, spoke on North American Stainless’ long-standing presence in Carroll County, as well as their continued investment into the county’s economy.
“North American Stainless has played a vital role in the economic growth of Carroll County over the years, investing over $3 billion in the local community and creating over 1,500 jobs for the region,” said Judge Wilhoite. “North American Stainless is a cornerstone of Carroll County and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We are excited about the expansion and look forward to working with North America Stainless in the future.”
The Carroll County Chamber of Commerce also commented on the expansion, emphasizing the importance of the economic relationship between North American Stainless and the county’s business community.
“As a leading business in Carroll County, NAS has built an incredible operation and encourages new opportunity and a better quality of life for local families every day. We are grateful to Cris Fuentes and his entire team for their commitment to Carroll County.”