United States Steel Corp. exercised its call option to acquire the remaining equity of Big River Steel for approximately $774 million. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021. Big River Steel operates a LEED-certified Flex Mill in northeast Arkansas. The company’s advanced manufacturing technology and skilled operators combined with U.S. Steel’s product development capabilities and intellectual property have allowed Big River Steel to produce 11 advanced U.S. Steel grades.

The Forging Industry Association (FIA) announced that Forge Fair 2021, North America’s largest forging industry trade show, will be rescheduled to October 26-28, 2021. It was originally scheduled for May 18-20, 2021. The general logistics, schedule and location of Forge Fair 2021 will remain the same. The three-day trade show will take place at the TCF Center in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center is the host hotel and will provide discounted room rates to Forge Fair attendees.

American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) will supply its EcoTrac Disconnecting All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) for Chrysler’s new 2021 Pacifica minivan. AAM’s system seamlessly provides AWD safety and performance only when the vehicle senses it is needed, including during cold temperatures, windshield wiper use, front-wheel slip, heavy accelerations, electronic stability control activation, abrupt steering and rough road conditions. AAM’s Pacifica’s power transfer unit (PTU), rear drive module (RDM) and the drive train control module (DTCM) are the heart of its AWD system and use vehicle sensor data to constantly evaluate traction and assist the driver through difficult weather and challenging road conditions.

Meritor Inc. (Troy, Mich.), a global supplier of drivetrain, mobility, braking and aftermarket solutions for commercial vehicle and industrial markets, disclosed a restructuring plan that includes closing three of its U.S. manufacturing plants. The facilities to be closed are located in Chicago, Ill.; Livermore, Calif.; and Livonia, Mich. The news came in the company’s Q4 business filing, which also revealed the closing of its European administration office in Zurich. The actions are expected to generate $10 million in annual savings. 

Nucor Corp. broke ground on its 400-job, $1.7 billion steel-plate manufacturing mill in Meade County, Ky. The project is expected to employ up to 1,500 contractors during construction. Located along the Ohio River in Brandenburg, the 1.5-million-square-foot operation will provide Nucor with 1.2 million tons of annual capacity for steel-plate production. Full-time jobs will include equipment operators, production specialists, safety and environmental technicians, engineers and office support staff. The mill is scheduled to open in 2022.

Construction work on the new SMS group Campus in Mönchengladbach, Germany, started with a recent groundbreaking ceremony. The site will be home to a new technology, service and digitalization center built on SMS premises. Starting in 2023, the competencies of five locations in the region will be brought together at this central location in the Rhineland. With its new campus, SMS will be able to exploit the full catalyst effect from the growth areas of service and digitalization to expand its role as a technology provider.

Liberty Steel Group, part of GFG Alliance, announced that it made a non-binding indicative offer (NBIO) as part of a thyssenkrupp-led process to acquire the steel activities of thyssenkrupp. Liberty Steel, a global steel and mining business, has 30,000 employees in more than 200 locations on four continents. A possible combination of Liberty Steel and thyssenkrupp Steel would create a group well positioned to tackle the challenges faced by the European steel industry.

General Motors plans to invest $71 million into two Ohio manufacturing facilities, including $39 million at its Toledo transmission plant and $32 million at its Defiance casting plant. Work will begin immediately at the two locations. The Toledo investment will be used to upgrade and enhance the production of GM’s eight-speed rear-wheel-drive transmission, and the Defiance investment will be used to prepare the facility for future engine casting components work. The investments will enable the company to retain 240 jobs.

Germany’s SMS group acquired Italian companies Hydromec S.R.L. and OMAV S.p.A. to further expand its product range in the forging-press and extrusion-plant markets. Hydromec manufactures forging presses and ring-rolling mills, and OMAV supplies aluminum extrusion lines. With its extended product portfolio, SMS group is now able to supply complete extrusion lines and forging plants with all upstream and downstream equipment and process technology from a single source. The two new SMS group companies, located in Brescia, will continue to operate on the market under their own names as subsidiaries of SMS. 

France’s Condat SA reached a closing date to acquire Italy’s Kemno. Headquartered near Lyon, Condat formulates and produces a range of lubricants for applications such as heat treatment, forging, wire drawing, tunnel boring, machining and industrial maintenance. The company develops lubricants with a reduced environmental impact without compromising their performance or the safety of users. Kemno produces soluble coolants, metal-working fluids, maintenance oils and quenching oils. These lubricants have the ability to increase tools life and decrease oil consumption. The acquisition allows Condat to strengthen its position in the fastener and machining industries.