V&M steel eyes major expansion in Valley

Youngstown and Girard officials have been working with the company.

VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — V&M Star Steel is considering increasing its operations here and has been in talks with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for months regarding an air permit application for new facilities.

That’s according to documents submitted to the state agency and obtained through a public records request by The Vindicator.

Company spokesmen could not be reached to comment, but a press release from the company earlier this week quoting company President Roger Lindgren said V&M Star is in process of evaluating a site that straddles Girard and Youngstown for possible expansion of its melt shop and rolling mill operations.

The company is a division of Vallourec Mannesmann Holdings.

V&M Star, which manufactures seamless steel tubes used mostly in the oil and gas industry, is based in what was formerly the site of the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co.’s Brier Hill Works. Located at 2669 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., it has about 450 employees.

The proposed expansion would increase its liquid steel production by more than two-thirds the current capacity, to 1.4 million tons from 830,000 now, according to the documents.

“A second pipe mill is also planned to increase production from the facility and make smaller-diameter seamless pipe for a variety of markets not currently served,” according to the EPA documents. “An abrasives manufacturing operation [also] is planned.”

Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams acknowledged that V&M is considering an expansion and said he and Girard Mayor James Melfi have teamed up to show regional cooperation.

“Mayor Jay and I have been working closely to develop lands within our borders,” said Melfi.

Both Williams and Melfi declined to comment any further on the possible expansion.

In late October, it submitted an application to the Ohio EPA seeking to expand its emissions.

According to documents, the earlier discussions “led to a concerted permitting collaboration between OEPA and V&M. Starting [Sept. 10] and every Thursday since then, OEPA and V&M have had conference calls to discuss all aspects of the ... permitting for this important project. Through significant effort by all involved, the permitting process has been proceeding and is expected to continue on an expedited basis. A final decision to locate the facility in Youngstown, [Ohio], had not [yet] been made by V&M.”

Ohio EPA is in the early stages of reviewing V&M’s application, agency spokesman Mike Settles said Wednesday. The agency would issue a draft permit, then complete a public notice and comment period before making a final decision.

Other state officials also are aware of the potential expansion.

“Gov. [Ted] Strickland knows what an important part of the community V&M Star is,” his spokesman Keith Dailey said Wednesday. “And the administration is currently in discussions with V&M about an opportunity at this site.”

Strickland has met personally with company representatives, Dailey added.

The Ohio Department of Development, which works with businesses looking to expand in the state, declined to comment on whether V&M has applied for any of the state’s incentive programs.

ODD spokesman Bob Grevey did say, “We think they’re an important part of our community, and we are speaking to the company about an opportunity. But there’s nothing concrete yet.”