Republic Steel will invest $85.2 million in an electric arc furnace (EAF) and associated equipment at its steelmaking facility in Lorain, Ohio, to meet growing customer demand for the company’s SBQ steel. The new furnace is expected to increase the company’s steel production by 1 million tons annually and will account for Lorain’s first significant growth in steelmaking in the 21st century. It will also enable production of bloom cast for the production of SBQ bar and the production of seamless tube rounds. Construction of the EAF is scheduled to begin in 2012 and be complete in mid-2013.

It is estimated that the project will bring 449 new jobs and more than $1 billion dollars in annual economic activity to Ohio. The existing 489 jobs at the Lorain facility will be retained. The location was chosen for its proximity to customers and its skilled workforce.