Vallourec Star to Dedicate $1.05B Mill Today
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Vallourec Star this morning will dedicate its new $1.05 billion seamless pipe mill, one of the most heralded economic development projects in the Mahoning Valley’s history.
Vallourec executives Joel Mastervich, Skip Herald and Philippe Crouzet are slated to be on hand for this morning’s events, which will include a news conference, tour of the state-of-the-art mill and dedication ceremony. The mill, first announced in February 2010, was built to manufacture small-diameter oil country tubular goods, or OCTG, pipe and connections for the oil and gas market. Other products manufactured at the mill include line pipe, green pipe for drill pipe and coupling stock.
The new mill is located near Vallourec’s other Youngstown mill. Parcels in Girard were annexed to Youngstown to accommodate the project, following months of often intense negotiations between the two cities. Funding for site and rail relocation work for the project was provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Ground was broken on the mill nearly three years ago.
Known until recently as V&M Star, the company this month adopted new branding and the identity of its France-based parent, Vallourec.
That market has expanded in recent years with the development of new technologies using the products Vallourec manufactures, including in the Utica and Marcellus shale plays in the region.
The new mill pierced its first billet last July, and in late October the first set of continuous production of pipe was completed. The plant’s initial annual production capacity is 350,000 tons. At full capacity, the mill is expected to employ 350 workers.
Since Vallourec’s initial announcement three years ago, other companies, including Exterran Holdings Inc., which marked the opening of its plant here a month ago, have located to the Valley to capitalize on the regional shale play.
Copyright 2013 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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