MASON COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — A groundbreaking ceremony for Nucor’s new $3 billion steel sheet mill took place Friday in Mason County, marking what may be the biggest industrial project in West Virginia history.
There has already been extensive site preparation work on the 1,700-acre site since the project was announced in January 2022.
The state-of-the-art steel mill is expected to employ about 800 workers and 2,000 construction workers will be involved in building it.
Officials said that’s just the beginning of the facility’s job impact.
“I will tell you for those of you that don't know Nucor really well. We're just getting started. We're just getting warmed up,” Nucor president Leon Topalian said.
Gov. Jim Justice anticipates the development will create tens of thousands of jobs. Other state officials have also provided support of the project.
“What you've seen here is only the beginning because everything that follows them, all the ancillary businesses that's needed to support this mill, is coming,” Sen. Joe Manchin said.
“One of the greatest steel plants ever in the world is going to be built here,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito added. “I think that's why the development is occurring. You can train. You can barge. You can drive. It has everything."
Nucor predicts four or five related outside jobs in the Ohio Valley will be generated for every position inside plant. Nucor reported its workforce is among the highest paid in the steel industry with average compensation topping $130,000.
The state had to provide about $300 million in incentives to land the Nucor mill. The facility is expected to be operational in 2026.