Kloeckner invests $11.3M SC plant

NEW YORK — Kloeckner Metals Corp. is investing $11.3 million to expand its flat-rolled distribution facility in Greenville, S.C., enhancing its value-add capabilities and capitalizing on growing demand in the US Southeast, a company executive said.

The investment will add 50,000 square feet to the current 150,000-square-foot facility and up to 19 new jobs, Robert Cromley, vice president of automotive and the Greenville plant’s general manager, told AMM on July 19.

The Roswell, Ga.-based service center began working on the project conceptually in the middle of last year, and the groundbreaking was in February, according to Cromley.

The project, which represents the first expansion since the Greenville branch opened in the 1960s, is slated for completion by Sept. 1, he said, noting that it is currently more than halfway finished.

The expansion was necessary due to “growth in the region and growth at the branch,” as well as increased demand from certain end markets such as automotive, Cromley said. “Automotive is continuing to grow in the Southeast.”

The bigger facility will house a new 84-inch-wide, 0.25-inch-thick slitting line capable of processing advanced high-strength steels and aluminum, he said, noting that the highly automated equipment will allow Kloeckner to handle 40-ton coils vs. its previous capability for 20-ton coils.

“We’re doubling our handling capacity,” Cromley said. “We couldn’t add the equipment without adding space due to our growth.”

As a result, the company also is adding a new bay with 43-ton cranes that can handle the 40-ton coils, he said.

“The mills are investing to cater to ever-increasing customer requirements and we’re doing the same,” Cromley added.

Kloeckner’s flat-rolled division moved into a new 106,000-square-foot facility in University Park, Ill., earlier this year to tap into rising demand for its value-added product and service offerings. The new facility could be expanded, although such an expansion might not take place for another two to three years, according to Kloeckner executives.

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