HarbisonWalker International Plans Fairfield, Alabama, Refractory Plant
01/20/2022
The facility, located at 2595 Ensley-Pleasant Grove Road, will be converted into a manufacturing, service, and distribution hub for steel customers in the southern United States. Construction will begin during the first quarter of 2022, and the 200,000 square foot facility is expected to open before the end of 2022.
"After considering several location options, we are pleased to become a part of the Fairfield - Birmingham business community in Jefferson County again and bring jobs to the region. The location is ideal for delivering quality refractory products and high-value services to our customers' growing steel operations in the southern U.S.," said Carol Jackson, Chairman and CEO, HarbisonWalker International.
HWI's proposed new plant will produce world-class magnesia-carbon brick refractories specifically engineered to maximize efficiency and performance in critical steel-making applications like steel ladles and low-emission electric arc furnaces (EAFs). Initially, production will add approximately 15,000 metric tons annually and ultimately up to 30,000 metric tons as additional equipment is added by 2023.
"The fundamentals for manufacturing and distribution success remain solid in the Fairfield area of Birmingham, and that's evident by HarbisonWalker International returning to build a southern hub for its refractory business," said Ron Kitchens, CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance, which worked with the company on this project. "Our distribution network and workforce are strong and will support future opportunities for this global company to grow."
In 2019, HWI's closure of its Fairfield plant was in direct response to the company's entrepreneurial business decision to exit its Carbon Bake brick products line of business due to the decline of the aluminum carbon bake market in North America and increasing product production costs. During the past several years, the company has invested in its Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Georgia, and Ontario facilities, which also produce products used in steelmaking.
Project Announcements
Kikkoman Foods Plans Jefferson, Wisconsin, Operations
04/26/2024
BWX Technologies Expands Cambridge, Ontario, Nuclear Production Operations
04/26/2024
Greenheck Group Plans Knoxville, Tennessee, Operations
04/26/2024
Local Bounti Plans Pasco, Washington, Indoor Agricultural Operations
04/26/2024
Innovative Construction Group Plans Siler City, North Carolina, Production Operations
04/26/2024
Crystal Window and Door Systems Plans Mansfield, Texas, Headquarters-Production Operations
04/25/2024
Most Read
-
2023's Leading Metro Locations: Hotspots of Economic Growth
Q4 2023
-
2023 Top States for Doing Business Meet the Needs of Site Selectors
Q3 2023
-
38th Annual Corporate Survey: Are Unrealized Predictions of an Economic Slump Leading Small to Mid-Size Companies to Put Off Expansion Plans?
Q1 2024
-
Making Hybrid More Human in 2024
Q1 2024
-
Manufacturing Momentum Is Building
Q1 2024
-
20th Annual Consultants Survey: Clients Prioritize Access to Skilled Labor, Responsive State & Local Government
Q1 2024
-
Public-Private Partnerships Incentivize Industrial Development
Q1 2024