Warren Steel Holdings will close in the first quarter of this year

Staff report

WARREN

Warren Steel Holdings will close in the first quarter of this year, a United Steelworkers representative said.

The plant, located at 4000 Mahoning Ave. NW, went idle Nov. 30.

“Given the current challenging market conditions, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily shut down steelmaking operations at Warren Steel Holdings,” said a company statement in November. “Our current expectation is to restart production sometime in the first quarter of 2016, contingent on market and business conditions at that time.”

Jose Arroyo, business representative in the Youngstown-Warren area for the United Steelworkers, said foreign trade was a cause of the closure.

“It’s the same story across all steel plants,” Arroyo said.

About 150 employees worked at the plant. USW organized the plant this year.

Warren Steel Holdings, affiliated with Optima Speciality Steel based in Miami, engineers products used in a variety of industries, including aerospace, mining, construction, automotive and agriculture.

The steel industry has taken a hit from the effects of a strong dollar, weak global demand and a buildup of inventory.

No one from the company could be reached to comment late Friday.

The site is the former Copperweld Steel, which closed in 2001 after filing for bankruptcy. Other milestones in the mill’s history:

October 2001: Privat pays $6 million for the mill’s continuous caster and melt shop.

Nov. 27, 2001: Privat forms a new company, Warren Steel LLC of Delaware, and buys land and property for $1.3 million.

April 11, 2002: Federal bankruptcy judge converts CSC Ltd. bankruptcy case to a Chapter 7, the liquidation phase.

March 10, 2006: American Steel and Alloys LLC, a Privat subsidiary, says it will hire about 110 employees within about three months.

July 2006: American Steel and Alloys puts reopening on hold, lays off employees.

Spring 2007: Warren Steel Holdings LLC hires workers to restart mill.