Nucor Corp. announced that its board of directors approved the construction of a new melt shop at one of the company’s existing bar mills in the western United States. The new $100 million facility will have the capacity to produce 600,000 tons annually and create approximately 140 new full-time jobs. Start-up is expected in 2024. Nucor has 15 bar mills strategically located across the country that manufacture a range of steel products, including concrete reinforcing bars, hot-rolled bars, rounds, light shapes, structural angles, channels, wire rod and highway products in carbon and alloy steels. Four of the bar mills have a significant focus on manufacturing SBQ and wire-rod products.

According to Nucor, the new melt shop will help it meet anticipated growth for bar products from customers in the western United States. Steel produced by Nucor bar mills serves end markets including agricultural, automotive, construction, energy, machinery, railroad and shipbuilding. The company’s bar-steel production capacity is estimated at approximately 9.5 million tons per year.