Liberty House Group has reopened its wire rod mill in Georgetown, South Carolina, with a ceremony on June 25.
Liberty House Group has reopened its wire rod mill in Georgetown, South Carolina, with a ceremony on June 25.
The reopening took place almost three years after ArcelorMittal USA LLC idled the mill, London-based Liberty House said. Attendees included public government officials and former workers who have been rehired by the mill, which used to employ as many as 226 people.
The mill, now named Liberty Steel Georgetown, is the first project in a “large-scale” investment program by GFG Alliance in American metals and industrial assets, according to a statement.
The restart of the 750,000-rolling tons-per-year mill has been hotly anticipated in the US wire rod market, with market participants – particularly rod buyers and potential customers – inquiring for months as to the timing of the restart and the mill’s commercial strategy.
It comes as import supply has been heavily restricted due to blanket Section 232 import tariffs and a recently concluded trade case against 10 traditional rod exporting countries.