U.S. Downstream Metals Developers Prep for Expansions, Upgrades

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Written by Will Ploch, Assistant Editor-in-Chief for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Pipe production, aluminum recycling and steel mill upgrades are among the downstream projects set to kick off across the U.S. in the second quarter.

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Methods Old and New

A variety of projects set to kick off across the U.S. could bring more metal end-products to consumers. Industrial Info is tracking more than $1.7 billion worth of capital-spending projects across downstream U.S. Metal & Minerals Industry sectors that are set to begin construction before the end of the second quarter; these sectors cover the casting, forging, rolling, processing and finishing of metal products.

H. Butting GmbH & Co. KG, commonly known as Butting, is among the companies developing grassroot projects with its first-phase stainless steel pipe mill in Loxley, Alabama. In addition to welded and cladded pipes, the facility would produce customized spools and tanks, among other goods. A proposed second phase, which likely would not begin construction until mid-2028 at the earliest, would expand operations and integrate two more pipe mills.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Metals & Minerals Plant and Project databases can learn more about Butting's Loxley development--including capacities, investment values and necessary equipment--from a plant profile and detailed reports on Phase I and Phase II.

Less traditional methods of downstream production also are set for development. Arconic Incorporated is preparing for a new casting complex at its Davenport Aluminum Works in Riverdale, Iowa, which recycles aluminum into ingots used to make sheet and plate products. The ingots will help to strengthen domestic supply chains, reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, and produce high-performance alloys for aerospace, defense, automotive, semiconductor and industrial markets, according to the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce.

"We're looking at casting our first ingots in the third quarter of 2027," said Susan Mooy, an engineering specialist for Arconic, to the Chamber. "We will be ramped up to full production by the first quarter of 2028." Subscribers can learn more from a plant profile and detailed project report.

By the Numbers

• More than $1.7 billion: Total value of capital projects at downstream U.S. metal plants set to kick off in the second quarter, according to Industrial Info
• About $645 million: Combined value of projects in the Great Lakes and Midwest regions, typically strongholds for this sector
• About $835 million: Combined value of plant-expansion projects set to begin construction before the end of June

Cleveland-Cliffs Hits Snag

Among the smaller-scale projects set to kick off in the second quarter, Cleveland-Cliffs Incorporated is preparing to begin work on a pair of equipment upgrade and addition projects at its Stainless Steel Mill in Coshocton, Ohio, and its Steel Works Plant in Rockport, Indiana. Both facilities will see new equipment installed, including a batch annealing line at the Coshocton mill, to better cater to the automotive and appliance markets. Subscribers can read detailed reports on the Coshocton and Rockport projects.

Separately, Cleveland-Cliffs had been planning to begin work on an expansion of its Butler Steel Works Plant in Lyndora, Pennsylvania, but earlier this month put the project on hold for the foreseeable future. Developers had hoped to extend the mill's hot‑rolling operations, but the Butler Township's planning commission voiced concerns on how nearby public roads would be affected. The company is expected to begin a regularly scheduled, two-week maintenance program at Butler next month; subscribers can learn more from a project report.

Not all of the projects are growth-oriented, however. Dalton Corporation is preparing to begin the closure of its Gray Iron Foundry in Warsaw, Indiana, an event announced toward the beginning of the year. The move follows parent company First Brands Group's bankruptcy filing in September; operations at the foundry, which produced 90,000 tons per year of gray and ductile iron, ceased permanently earlier this month. Subscribers can learn more from a plant profile and detailed project report.

Subscribers can click here for a full list of reports for capital-spending projects across downstream U.S. metal industry sectors that are set to begin construction before the end of June.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project and Plant databases can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.

Key Takeaways

• Butting's new steel-pipe mill is among the highest-profile grassroot projects set to kick off.
• Less traditional methods of downstream production, such as aluminum recycling, also are set for development.
• Cleveland-Cliffs is looking at smaller-scale improvements, after a major project was delayed.

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About IIR News Intelligence
IIR News Intelligence is a trusted source of news for the industrial process and energy markets, powered by Industrial Info Resources' Global Market Intelligence (GMI).

About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR News Intelligence) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).