Carpenter Technology selected Limestone County, Ala., as the location to construct its new 400,000-square-foot state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that was announced last August. The facility, which has a total cost of approximately $500 million, is being built in response to strong customer demand for premium alloy products primarily in the aerospace and energy industries. The new facility will ultimately be capable of producing approximately 27,000 tons per year of additional premium product and will be designed with modern technology and optimum product flow to meet customer requirements for reduced lead times.            

The approximately 230-acre site is located near Athens, Ala., in the Huntsville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The flat, open tract of land is in an area that will allow relatively easy construction, flexibility for future growth and expansion, and access to a strong pool of skilled workers. The facility is expected to be operational in about 30 months, and it will include remelting, forging and associated finishing and testing capabilities.