5-11-2010

CAROLINA PROJECT GOES TO MISSOURI

 

Commercial Metals Company, a Micro Steel Plant, planning a 150 million dollar facility has chosen New Florence, Missouri over Greenville for its new location. WGEL talked to Assistant City Manager, and lead person working on that project for Greenville, Lisa Stephens who explained the final decision.

 

"I was notified recently that regrettably Greenville did not get selected for the project we have always referred to as Project Carolina. The project is a micro steel mill and possibly rebar facility.They are known as Commercial Metal Company, a global company with their corporate headquarters based in Dallas, TX. This would have been a micro steel mill plant based on recycled metals. It would not have been a fully integrated type of facility like down in Granite City. It would have been the complete opposite of that. But never the less, we did not get selected. The company officials told me that it definitely wasn’t for lack of trying and that they never have seen a better or more impressive package. The site that won out was in Missouri. They said the market potential is better near the southwest region. They were also concerned about the utility cost for electricity and gas and with the unfavorable political climate that exists in Illinois. This company wanted to invest $150 million in our region. I really did think we had a very good chance of persuading them to make that investment here and to choose Greenville. I really thought we had a good chance of getting them.”