Nucor Corp. will invest $60 million to expand its Towers & Structures plant in Decatur, Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey announced Tuesday. The project is expected to create 60 jobs in the region.
That’s a quick growth spurt for a plant that was announced just three years ago.
The expansion will:
Increase utility pole production
Add laydown space
Add galvanizing-inspection space
Nucor considered other states before choosing Alabama for the project. Chair and CEO Leon Topalian said the expansion will help meet “strong demand from utilities” across the country as they invest heavily in strengthening and modernizing the power grid.
In other words, this expansion is riding the grid upgrade wave, by the company’s own account.
This isn’t Nucor’s first rodeo in Alabama:
More than 2,700 employees statewide
Facilities in Decatur, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Fort Payne and Eufaula
Morgan County operations that include Nucor Steel Decatur, Nucor Tubular Products and Towers & Structures
A $280 million rolling mill investment at Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa in 2023
Alabama Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair called Nucor a critical link in the nation’s manufacturing and construction supply chain.
Sweetening the Pot
Nucor is eligible for state Jobs Act credits and Alabama Industrial Development Training assistance.
State Sen. Arthur Orr, chairman of the Morgan County Economic Development Association, credited a skilled workforce combined with low taxes, low power rates and low regulation. According to Orr, Nucor figured that out years ago and keeps investing because of it.
Holding the Line
Towers & Structures builds the steel utility structures that support electric transmission. As utilities pour money into the grid, Nucor is making sure more of those poles come out of Decatur.
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