Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty along with ArcelorMittal executives announced the company’s plans to reopen its Harriman facility which closed in 2011 due to poor market conditions. With a goal of being fully operational by April 2014, ArcelorMittal will hire 61 new employees over the next two years in Roane County.
“In addition to having one of the best balance sheets in the nation, Tennessee also ranks No. 1 in the Southeast in GDP growth, and these factors offer a level of reassurance to global companies in an often uncertain economy,” Hagerty said. “We work hard to help companies locate and expand in our state, but when a company like ArcelorMittal is able to restart its operations, it gives the community a tremendous sense of revival and renewed momentum. I appreciate ArcelorMittal’s commitment to Roane County and its continued investment in our state.”
“This is an exciting development for the ArcelorMittal family and the Harriman region, serving as another indication of the strength and resiliency of American manufacturing and the United States steel industry,” PS Venkataramanan, chief executive officer, ArcelorMittal Long Carbon North America, said. “We look forward to working with the United Steelworkers to safely restart the facility, providing an enhanced product offering to our customers. We are especially thankful for the support from the local and state governments, allowing us to once again produce quality steel products in Harriman.”
ArcelorMittal will ship billets from its sister facility in LaPlace, La. by rail to the Harriman facility where they will be reheated and rolled into light structural shapes and merchant bars for the construction market. The reopening will enhance ArcelorMittal’s long product portfolio by producing one- to three-inch angles and one- to four-inch flats.
“TVA congratulates ArcelorMittal on restarting their operations at the Harriman facility to add jobs in the Roane County area,” John Bradley, TVA senior vice president of Economic Development, said. “TVA and Harriman Utility Board are pleased to be economic development partners with the state of Tennessee, the Roane Alliance, and other community leaders to assist area companies.”
“It’s a good sign that their industry is bouncing back, and Roane County is fortunate to be in a position to benefit,” Roane County Executive Ron Woody said. “We stand ready to help ArcelorMittal in their restart.”
“ArcelorMittal’s announcement is just the type of news we need here in Roane County,” Roane County Industrial Development Board Chairman David Webb said. “There has been good team work from a number of people that we would like to thank for their efforts in this project including the Roane Alliance staff, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, TVA and HUB, Norfolk Southern and the Tennessee Career Center.”
Job applications will be accepted on behalf of ArcelorMittal Jan. 2 – 9 at the Tennessee Career Center at Rockwood, located at 1082 N. Gateway Ave., and also on the Tennessee Department of Labor website, www.jobs4TN.gov.
An open house will be held at the Tennessee Career Center at Rockwood on Jan. 9 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. to allow interested parties to learn more about the company and its operations.
About ArcelorMittal
ArcelorMittal is the world's leading steel and mining company, with a presence in more than 60 countries and an industrial footprint in over 20 countries. Guided by a philosophy to produce safe, sustainable steel, we are the leading supplier of quality steel in the major global steel markets including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with world-class research and development and outstanding distribution networks.
Through our core values of sustainability, quality and leadership, we operate responsibly with respect to the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, contractors and the communities in which we operate.
For us, steel is the fabric of life, as it is at the heart of the modern world from railways to cars and washing machines. We are actively researching and producing steel-based technologies and solutions that make many of the products and components we use in our everyday lives more energy-efficient.
We are one of the world’s five largest producers of iron ore and metallurgical coal and our mining business is an essential part of our growth strategy. With a geographically diversified portfolio of iron ore and coal assets, we are strategically positioned to serve our network of steel plants and the external global market. While our steel operations are important customers, our supply to the external market is increasing as we grow.
In 2012, ArcelorMittal had revenues of $84.2 billion and crude steel production of 88.2 million tonnes, while iron ore production reached 55.9 million tonnes.
ArcelorMittal is listed on the stock exchanges of New York (MT), Amsterdam (MT), Paris (MT), Luxembourg (MT) and on the Spanish stock exchanges of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia (MTS).
For more information about ArcelorMittal, please visit: www.arcelormittal.com.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tn.gov/ecd. Follow us on Twitter: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.