CMC EAF mill coming to West Virginia

Irving, Texas-based steel producer and scrap recycler Commercial Metals Co. (CMC) has announced the selection of a site in Berkeley County, West Virginia, as the location for its fourth scrap-fed electric arc furnace (EAF) micromill.

Calling the facility MM4, CMC says the project has been budgeted to cost approximately $450 million. The mill is expected to have an annual capacity of 500,000 tons and employ approximately 230 people.

“MM4 will be capable of producing various sizes of both straight length and spooled rebar,” CMC says. “Based on anticipated timelines for permitting and construction, the new plant is scheduled to begin operations in late calendar 2025.”

“We are pleased to enter the next phase of this exciting investment, and to establish CMC’s manufacturing presence in West Virginia,” CMC President and CEO Barbara R. Smith says. “The state offers several attractive advantages for MM4, including a welcoming business climate and a skilled available labor force. The planned site, located in the eastern panhandle of the state near Martinsburg, is well situated to serve key metropolitan markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, as well as the Midwest.”

Smith adds, “MM4 is a core component of CMC’s strategic growth plan and will help ensure our long-term competitiveness in critical geographical markets. We believe this new micromill, among the most environmentally friendly steelmaking operations in the world, will strengthen our operational network throughout the Eastern U.S. by achieving synergies with our existing mill and downstream facilities.”

CMC announced this January that it intended to locate a new micromill somewhere in the northeastern portion of the United States. That announcement occurred the same month that competing steelmaker Nucor Corp. announced West Virginia as the site of a new EAF mill of its own.

“We thank Gov. Jim Justice, the entire West Virginia economic development team, and the dedicated Berkeley County staff for their support during the site selection process and for the welcome given to this important project," Smith says. "We look forward to becoming a vital part of the Berkeley County community and growing our presence in the Mountain State.”

CMC currently operates seven EAF minimills, two EAF micromills, one rerolling mill, steel fabrication and processing plants, construction-related product warehouses and metal recycling facilities in the United States and Poland.