New York steelmaker to announce new Beaver County plant next week

72 Steel, a steel company based in Brooklyn, New York will construct a state-of the-art fabrication facility along the Ohio River at Aliquippa. The plant is expected to cost $218 million.

The company will host a press conference on Tuesday morning with local officials to announce the project at the former J&L Steel Aliquippa Works Tin Mill in Aliquippa. The steel fabrication plant is expected to use an electric-arc kiln to produce 500,000 tonnes of rebar, section steel and other steel products that will be used for buildings, bridges and other applications once fully operational.

Xiaoyan Zhang told Pittsburgh Business Times, on Friday, that 72 Steel plans to start operations in 2025. Planning and environmental permits for the site are still to come.

72 Steel was founded in 2016 by Chinese-American entrepreneurs based in the New York/New Jersey area. Zhang stated that 72 Steel sells steel, but the Beaver County facility will be its first manufacturing plant.

He said that the goal was to build a modern steel mill with state-of-the art technology. It's exciting, because the site was once a steel and tin factory.

The new steel mill will be using an electric arc-furnace, which was not used during J&L's days. Zhang stated that the steel mill will use scrap metal and will employ between 300 and 400 people, not counting those needed for construction and commissioning.

Steel is expected to play a major role in the reconstruction of the nation's infrastructure, which will be a result of the 2021 Investment and Jobs Act/Bipartisan Construction Law.

72 Steel Chairman Lin Huabin, along with other executives of the company, met in December with local officials including Beaver County developer Chuck Betters as well as the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and others. They also toured the proposed site.

Zhang stated that "they loved the site".

Lin stated on the 72 Steel's website that he was "very happy" to build the factory in Pittsburgh. The website states that many departments have shown great support to Lin and thanked him for his efforts. The address of the new factory is excellent. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers and has developed railways and highways. There are also abundant power supplies.