Warren Steel Holdings adds new equipment

By Don Shilling

The steel plant has added 50 workers in the past year.

WARREN — Warren Steel Holdings, which operates on the former Copperweld Steel complex, is one manufacturer that is continuing to expand during the recession.

The company said Friday that it has added new equipment so that it can produce steel rounds that are 6 inches in diameter.

The plant, which was restarted in 2007 after two years of renovations, has 140 employees, up from 90 a year ago.

Wayne Smith, company vice president of sales, said Warren Steel spent $400,000 on molds and other equipment to produce the new size of steel product. The plant produces three larger sizes, up to 12.25 inches in diameter.

Smith added that more investments are planned for this year so that the company can produce three additional sizes and can cut product to custom lengths.

The plant melts scrap steel using an electric arc furnace and produces new steel shapes.

Smith said the plant also has completed renovations to railroad track on the property so that it can provide direct rail shipments to customers.

Trumbull County officials secured about $838,000 in state grants and money from the Mahoning Valley Economic Development Corp. to improve the rail line, which hasn’t been used since Copperweld last used it nearly a decade ago.

County officials have said that Warren Steel was spending about $1.8 million on the rail line on its property.

Copperweld, which closed in January 2001, used to operate a steel mill that employed 1,300.

The site was bought by Privat Group, a privately held Ukrainian company that is the parent company of Warren Steel. Improvements have been made to the melt shop, ladle refining furnace, casting operation and other departments.

shilling@vindy.com