Flash Steelworks Inc. broke ground on a new steel manufacturing facility in Middlesboro, Ky. The company will invest $12.1 million over the next 15 years and create 250 full-time jobs, 100 of which are expected to be created in the next three years. Flash Steelworks is a private steel manufacturer that uses a specialized electronic/thermal process to produce blast-resistant, yet lightweight, military-grade plate steel. The company has a contract with the Department of Defense to produce armor for the U.S. military.

L&L Special Furnace Company Inc. shipped a large high-temperature box furnace to a Midwest plant starting production on ceramic matrix parts that will be used in military and aerospace applications. The furnace, which has been commissioned, has an effective work zone of 32 inches wide x 30 inches high x 50 inches deep and is capable of reaching temperatures up to 3100°F (1700°C) under partial atmospheric pressure. There is also a vacuum pump to help remove oxygen prior to beginning the thermal cycle.