MEADE COUNTY, Ky. — According to a release, from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced that Nucor Corp. is building a 400-job, $1.7 billion steel plate manufacturing mill in Meade County.
The news of the manufacturing mill was subject to controversy in Meade Co. due to the effects on farmers in the area.
Farmers in the area filed a suit against Nucor and county officials after they learned in late 2019 that a grain elevator would close to make way for the $1.3B plant to be build on the riverport.
Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin touted the Nucor deal as one of his proudest moments.
During construction, the project is expected to employ up to 1,500 contractors.
“Nucor Steel Brandenburg will be a difference-maker for its employees, their families and the economy of Meade County and the surrounding region,” Gov. Beshear said.
The plant will be located in Buttermilk Falls Industrial Park which is along the Ohio River in Brandenburg, according to a news release.
Nucor and its affiliates already have a heavy footprint in Kentucky. They employ nearly 2,000 people at numerous facilities, including Nucor Steel Gallatin, Nucor Tubular Products Louisville, Harris Rebar and a 50% ownership stake in Steel Technologies. Nucor also owns the David J. Joseph Co. and its multiple recycling facilities across the state, which collect and recycle scrap metal.
The company said it has recently completed Phase I of a massive, $826 million expansion project at its Nucor Steel Gallatin mill in Ghent, Kentucky. The mill, which produces flat-rolled steel coils, is in the middle of Phase II and the expansions are creating 145 full-time jobs.
Nucor’s facilities are part of Kentucky’s primary metals industry, a sector encompassing more than 220 facilities employing over 25,000 people. The industry includes producers and downstream processors of steel, stainless steel, iron, aluminum, copper and brass.
During a special meeting in March 2019, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) preliminarily approved a 15-year incentive agreement with Nucor under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The incentive agreement included:
- Creation and maintenance of 400 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 15 years
- Paying an average hourly wage of $45 including benefits across those jobs
Nucor is headquartered in Charlotte, NC. According to Nucor, they are North America’s largest recycler and the nation’s largest steel and steel products producer. The company employs over 26,000 people at more than 300 facilities across North America.
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