COLUMBIANA Former steel products plant to become warehouse

Buckeye Transfer will relocate its headquarters to the plant.
COLUMBIANA -- A Youngstown company plans to breathe new life into the former National Refractories and Minerals plant in Columbiana.
Tracy Drake, executive director of the Columbiana County Port Authority, said the port authority is assisting Buckeye Transfer of Youngstown in bringing the 400,000-square-foot building on 10 acres out of bankruptcy.
Drake discussed the deal this week at the port authority's monthly meeting. Drake said the port authority will apply for funding to clean up the brownfield site, and will assist in marketing to fill the plant.
He said National Refractories and Minerals produced products for the steel industry, part of which involved the use of chromium. The chromium needs to be removed from the site before new companies move there, he said.
Relocation
Drake said Buckeye Transfer will relocate its headquarters, bringing about 20 employees, and may move its trucking company from Pennsylvania to the site. The building will be used for warehousing.
Drake said between Buckeye Transfer's relocation and a manufacturing plant looking at space in the building, there could be 50 to 60 workers in the idled plant.
Drake said warehousing is ideal for the site because it is close to state Route 344 and state Route 11 for easy transfer of materials by truck. The site is along the Norfolk and Southern railway through Columbiana, and there is a rail spur to the plant, Drake said.
Because of the slumping economy and declines in the steel industry, National Refractories and Minerals closed in December 2002 after being unable to find a buyer and avoid bankruptcy. About 200 workers ultimately lost their jobs, with only a handful still working when the plant closed.