Michael Mechley, Vice President of Procurement for Zekelman Indusries (left) and Big River Steel CEO Dave Stickle.
Big River Steel said Wednesday operations have begun in its melt shop and hot mill, the next step in a phased start-up of the $1.3 billion plant near Osceola.
These are the third and fourth areas of the mill to be commissioned following the batch anneal facility and temper mill earlier this year. The plant is expected to be fully operational in early 2017.
Zekelman Industries paid $100,000 for the first hot rolled coil produced, and the coil will be sent to Atlas Tube, one of the company’s structural tube mills in Blytheville, according to a news release.
Then that $100,000 was donated to the Wounded Warrior Project and Arkansas Northeastern College (ANC). Each received $50,000.
Big River Steel broke ground on the plant in 2014 and aims to produce 1.6 million tons of niche and specialty steel for sale in North America.
“We are thrilled to be commemorating this milestone alongside Zekelman Industries,” Big River CEO Dave Stickler said in a news release. “The northeast Arkansas community, home to both Big River and one of Zekelman’s most advanced facilities, has embraced our arrival with open arms.”
He also said the company has a strong relationship with ANC, having spent more than $1 million on training services the college provided.
“We look forward to expanding this relationship in the coming years as we grow and expand Big River,” Stickler said.
“Big River’s willingness to join us in making these charitable contributions is much appreciated, and we join others that operate industrial facilities in northeast Arkansas in welcoming Big River to the community,” Zekelman CEO Barry Zekelman said.
ANC President James Shemwell said the college is looking forward to continuing to work with the two companies to develop programs that produce students who are “fully prepared to meet the demands of advanced manufacturing.”
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