Steel Products
Liberty Steel Georgetown Back in Business Monday
Written by Sandy Williams
June 20, 2018
Liberty Steel is set to reopen on Monday, June 25, in Georgetown, S.C. The wire-rod rolling facility, purchased by London-based Liberty House in December, will be renamed Liberty Steel Georgetown. Currently, the mill is in a testing phase, but is expected to begin production soon.
United Steelworkers Union Local 7898 credits the recent tariffs on imported steel and aluminum for the mill’s comeback. The Georgetown mill will eventually employ 270 workers and 50 salaried employees.
“The American people right now are suffering in the United States because of these unfair trade deals. And these economists, these business people who are running around hollering that these tariffs are going to hurt the American people are just absolutely wrong,” said Jim Sanderson, president of the USW Local 7898.
Liberty Steel Georgetown has two electric arc furnaces, of which one is presently operational and has a capacity of 500,000 metric tons per year. Total annual rolling capacity is 750,000 metric tons. Liberty Steel Georgetown manufactures steel wire in diameter ranges from 7/32-inch (5.5MM) up to 19/32-inch that is used in rubber tires, wire rope and pre-stressed concrete strand. The mill can also produce deformed rebar in coil in response to market demand.
Revansidha “Rohit” Gulve, formerly of Gerdau Steel, has been appointed general manager of the Georgetown operations, as well as non-executive vice president of Liberty Steel USA.
The formal opening of the mill will be led by Sanjeev Gupta, founder of Liberty Group and executive chairman of GFG Alliance.
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