Metals

Photo courtesy of Matalco

Matalco to add Kentucky location

The office of the governor of Kentucky has announced that Canada-based secondary aluminum producer Matalco has committed to building a 135,000-ton-per-year facility in Franklin, Kentucky, which is about 45 miles north of Nashville, Tennessee.

Matalco Kentucky LLC is a newly formed venture of Matalco (U.S.) Inc., a producer of scrap-content aluminum alloys that itself is part of the Brampton, Ontario-based Giampaolo Group Inc.

“We are extremely excited about entering this next phase of our corporate strategic growth plan,” says Robert Roscetti, vice president, corporate development, at Matalco Inc. “This investment demonstrates our continued commitment to serve our customers [and] expand our market share and is in direct response to the growth and demand that we are experiencing with our products and services.”

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says of the projected $53.5 million project, “I would like to welcome Matalco to Kentucky as the latest addition to our thriving aluminum sector and thank the company for its commitment to create 60 quality jobs for Kentuckians. Aluminum-related and other primary metals businesses are growing rapidly in our state and helping us build Kentucky’s economy back stronger than ever. Matalco will be a great fit in Kentucky as the company looks to expand its presence in the United States market. Congratulations to Matalco, Simpson County and the families in the surrounding area who will benefit from this great project.”

Matalco will occupy space in a 460,000-square-foot facility that formerly served as the home of a Quad/Graphics printing operation. The aluminum production line is expected to be operational by mid-2022.

In addition to the new Kentucky site, which sits on 107 acres, Matalco produces scrap-content aluminum billets, slab and ingots at sites in Ontario, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin. The company has about 500,000 tons of aluminum production capacity.

According to Beshear’s office, “Matalco joins a primary metals industry in Kentucky that includes 234 facilities employing nearly 26,000 people statewide. Since 2019, the commonwealth has seen 21 announcements of aluminum-related projects, expected to drive over $625 million in new investment and create more than 620 full-time jobs.”