Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE) announced earlier this year an $860 million investment to construct a new 650,000-tons-per-year rebar micro mill in the Pacific Northwest. Quincy, Washington, is being considered as a potential site, according to Grant County Commissioner Cindy Carter. While the exact timeline for a decision remains uncertain, it is expected within the next several months.
This will be Nucor’s fourth and largest rebar micro mill, boasting approximately 50 percent more production capacity than the mill currently under construction in North Carolina. The project, pending regulatory approvals, is anticipated to take about two years to complete.
“The rebar we produce at our Nucor micro mills is made from nearly 100 percent recycled scrap, making it some of the cleanest steel made anywhere in the world,” said Leon Topalian, Chair, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Nucor. “This new rebar micro mill in the Pacific Northwest will help Nucor maintain its leadership in the steel bar market and further execute our strategy to better serve our customers west of the Rocky Mountains, which also includes the addition of a melt shop at our Arizona bar mill.” The new mill will produce a full range of rebar sizes and will have spooling capabilities. Rebar is essential in the construction of roads, buildings, and other structures. With the increase in U.S. infrastructure investments, the domestic rebar market is expected to show continued strength.
Nucor currently operates 15 bar mills across the United States, producing a wide array of steel products, including concrete reinforcing bars, hot-rolled bars, rounds, light shapes, structural angles, channels, wire rod, and highway products in carbon and alloy steels. Four of these bar mills focus significantly on manufacturing special bar quality (SBQ) and wire rod products. As of December 31, 2023, Nucor’s bar steel production capacity is approximately 9.6 million tons per year.