April 26, 2006 — Mittal Steel USA officially placed a new line into operation in Cleveland to produce galvanized sheet steel for automakers and other demanding customers.
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In the hot dip galvanizing process, a zinc coating is applied to steel sheet by passing the steel through a bath of liquid zinc.
In the galvannealing process, the zinc-coated (galvanized) sheet is heated to further bond the zinc to the steel.
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The new line is designed to produce in excess of 700,000 tons of corrosion-resistant sheet annually using the hot-dip galvanizing process. The line will produce coated steel for exposed automotive panels and unexposed automotive components. Its inauguration comes just over a year after Mittal Steel acquired International Steel Group.
"For automotive customers, this facility builds on Mittal Steel's status as a premier automotive supplier and links the distinctive culture and capabilities of our Cleveland plant with the latest hot-dip galvanizing technology," said Louis L. Schorsch, President and CEO of Mittal Steel USA. "For Cleveland and Cuyahoga Heights, it represents an investment of $70 million in the future of steelmaking in the region, along with the addition of 80 jobs."
Mittal Steel USA also has announced that it has begun engineering and procurement activities to add galvannealing capability to the new line. The additional galvannealed capacity will enable Mittal Steel to serve a wider spectrum of automotive applications, as early as the second quarter of 2007.
"With this new line, we will be better positioned to serve customers in the automotive industry as well as other markets that demand the most advanced, high-quality, corrosion-resistant steel," added Michael G. Rippey, Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing.
"Because of the versatility of the new line, it will help the Cleveland plant maintain its stature as one of the most advanced steelmaking plants serving world markets," said William Brake Jr., Executive Vice President of Operations. He said the Cleveland operation already is the most productive steel plant on the planet.
"This project is as important to Greater Cleveland as it is to Mittal Steel," Brake added, "by securing our future as a consistent innovator as well as a major player in the North American steel industry."
Mittal Steel USA, with its affiliates, is the largest steel producer in North America and the largest integrated steel producer in the United States. It serves a broad U.S. manufacturing base. The company was formed in April 2005 and consists of the former Ispat Inland Inc. and the former International Steel Group. It has operations in 12 states.
Mittal Steel Co. is the world's largest and most global steel company, with operations in 16 countries, on four continents. Mittal Steel encompasses all aspects of modern steelmaking, to produce a comprehensive portfolio of both flat and long steel products to meet a wide range of customer needs. It serves all the major steel-consuming sectors, including automotive, appliance, machinery and construction. For 2005, Mittal Steel had revenues of US $28.1 billion and steel shipments of 49.2 million tons.