LONGUEUIL, October 1, 2015 – To strengthen its position as a local producer of high-quality steel, ArcelorMittal Montreal has announced a $27 million (CAD) investment to update the finishing line at its Longueuil bar mill. The project, to be completed in 2017, will boost the mill’s production capacity to 500,000 metric tonnes per year and make new added-value products available to customers.
The funding will come from ArcelorMittal’s global capital expenditure fund for strategic projects at its best-performing facilities. “Approval of this investment is a mark of ArcelorMittal senior management’s confidence in our business unit,” said Sujit Sanyal, ArcelorMittal Montreal Vice President, Operations. “This is a direct consequence of ongoing improvements in health and safety, quality, productivity and profitability, as well as our good labour relations. These factors have contributed to our past success and are more than ever necessary if we are to continue to stand out from the crowd,” said Luc Lacerte, Longueuil plant manager.
The Longueuil bar mill currently converts about 400,000 tonnes of steel billets per year. They are made into special quality and merchant quality bars, rebar and various other semifinished products for customers in North America and Mexico. The bar mill is the world’s largest supplier of steel for leaf springs for the major automakers’ light and heavy trucks. The new finishing line will secure additional outlets for billets from the two ArcelorMittal Montreal steelworks in Contrecoeur and will increase the bar mill’s capacity by 100,000 tonnes per year.
Design engineering is currently under way and work on the finishing line will begin in the second quarter of 2016. The new line should be operational by the end of the second quarter of 2017.
The project constitutes an addition to the $220 million in capital expenditures at ArcelorMittal Montreal facilities in Quebec and Ontario since 2008. Despite the volatile economy, the company is maintaining its position as a world-class Canadian steel producer.
Renewed commitment to Longueuil and the community
The investment will consolidate the 200 jobs at the Longueuil plant, a strategic location for ArcelorMittal Montreal which has been in the municipality’s industrial park since 1974. In 2013, the bar mill underwent a $24 million upgrade with the installation of a new reheat furnace. That project improved the mill’s performance while reducing its energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to being a major employer in the area, ArcelorMittal Montreal is committed to the Longueuil community. One example is the company’s support for the sculpture called “La force ouvrière” (The Workers’ Strength) by Quebec artist Armand Vaillancourt. The colossal work of art is a tribute to union leader Michel Chartrand currently being built in a park bearing Mr. Chartrand’s name in Longueuil. It requires over 500 tonnes of steel, all donated by ArcelorMittal Montreal. Mr. Vaillancourt’s initiative will garner worldwide attention for the City of Longueuil. “Our company has a rich history in Longueuil and our recent decisions show that we are securely anchored here, both economically and culturally”, added Mr. Sanyal.
About ArcelorMittal Montreal
ArcelorMittal Montreal’s (montreal.arcelormittal.com) mission is to safely manufacture sustainable steel in accordance with its values of health and safety, quality, leadership and sustainability. The company employs about 1,700 people in Contrecoeur, Longueuil, Montreal and Hamilton. It operates a scrap-metal recycling and conversion centre, an iron-ore reduction plant, two steel mills, three rolling mills and two wire drawing mills. The group has an annual production capacity of over 2 million tons of steel and generates economic spinoffs of more than $1 billion per year.
ArcelorMittal Montreal is part of ArcelorMittal, the world’s leading integrated steel and mining company, with a presence in more than 60 countries.