Heidtman Steel, one of North America's largest flat-rolled carbon steel processing companies, will begin construction soon on a new 114,000-square-foot processing facility in Calvert, Ala. The $18.5 million facility will be located on the campus of ThyssenKrupp Steel.

"ThyssenKrupp's Calvert mill is touted as the most technologically advanced steel mill in the world," says Tim Berra, president of Heidtman Steel, Toledo, Ohio. "By locating on their campus, we continue our mill-adjacent business strategy that maximizes productivity while minimizing yield loss."

Phase one of the facility will include installation of a 0.250-inch by 78-inch slitter capable of handling 80,000-pound coils. Future expansion plans will be determined by market needs and are expected to include heavy-gauge slitting. The company estimates the first phase will be operational in first-quarter 2013.

"This decision was made to fulfill the requirements to better service our customers that have locations in the southern U.S. and Mexico," says Berra. "This facility completes a strategy that we have been exploring for several years in the South."