Area Development
Mill Steel Co., a flat rolled steel service center, will invest $16.1 million to locate its first Indiana facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana, creating up to 43 jobs by 2017. The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company will purchase and equip a 105,000 square-foot facility at the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville, making renovations to more than double its size to 225,000 square feet.

"We are very excited by the opportunity to locate to Jeffersonville, and feel that Indiana’s central location serves as an outstanding complement to our existing steel service center processing locations of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Melvindale (Detroit), Michigan and Birmingham, Alabama," said David Samrick, CEO of Mill Steel. “Indiana’s right-to-work law, simplified regulatory environment and low-tax rates also make it very attractive for the continued growth of our business. We felt it was absolutely critical to position ourselves at a location that will enable us to continue our delivery of outstanding just in time services to our growing automotive, construction, appliance and general manufacturing customer base."

The company processes and distributes flat rolled carbon steel, serving the automotive, construction, appliance and general manufacturing industries. An ISO/TS 16949 certified company, Mill Steel plans to operate a testing lab in Jeffersonville accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation. The facility, which will be operational in June, will house two slitters in addition to a cut-to-length line.

As an incentive, Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Steel 1195, LLC up to $300,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $100,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Jeffersonville will consider additional incentives at the request of One Southern Indiana.

“Mill Steel and other companies gain an advantage by locating at one of Indiana’s three ports,” said Victor Smith, Indiana Secretary of Commerce. “The Ports of Indiana helps businesses boost their logistics skills through direct rail-to-barge capabilities, strategically located at the crossroads of America. Companies can transport goods to their clients more efficiently here, making Indiana a state that works.”

“This latest announcement is a testament to the many advantages the city of Jeffersonville as well as the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville offer a company’s bottom line,” said Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore. “We are thrilled Mill Steel chose to leverage Jeffersonville’s locale to serve its growing market and to establish their future in southern Indiana.”

State Economic Development officials noted Indiana’s three ports are foreign trade zones, helping companies ship about 70 million tons and $1.89 billion in cargo through the state by water each year. Directly linked to the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway, through Lake Michigan and the Inland Waterway System through the Ohio River, more than half of Indiana’s border is water. The Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville is the fastest growing port on the Inland Waterway System.