Nucor Corp. will build a new tube mill on the site of its Nucor Steel Gallatin sheet mill in Kentucky. This location will allow the company to take advantage of investments made to expand capacity of the Gallatin mill and add a galvanizing line. The $164 million project is expected to be in operation by the middle of 2023 and create more than 70 new full-time jobs. The tube mill will have the capacity to produce approximately 250,000 tons annually of hollow structural section (HSS) steel tubing, mechanical steel tubing and galvanized solar torque tube. The Gallatin County site puts the facility near expanding solar markets in the United States and the largest consuming regions for HSS steel tubing.

According to Nucor, the new tube mill will allow it to better serve customers in the construction, infrastructure and renewable-energy markets. Nucor’s Tubular Products (NTP) Group was formed in late 2016 when Nucor entered the tube market with the acquisitions of Independence Tube, Southland Tube and Republic Conduit. Today, NTP consists of eight tubular facilities that produces HSS steel tubing, mechanical steel tubing, piling, sprinkler pipe, galvanized tube, heat-treated tubing and electrical conduit. Total annual capacity is approximately 1,365,000 tons.