OREANDA-NEWS. January 13, 2014. ArcelorMittal is pleased to announce our decision to reopen ArcelorMittal Harriman, a long product finishing facility located in Harriman, Tennessee, USA - around 40 miles west of Knoxville.

With a goal of being fully operational by April 2014, ArcelorMittal will hire 61 new employees over the next two years.

“This is an exciting development for the ArcelorMittal family and the Harriman region, serving as another indication of the strength and resilience of American manufacturing and the United States steel industry,” said PS Venkataramanan, chief executive officer, ArcelorMittal Long Carbon North America. “We look forward to working with the United Steelworkers to safely restart the facility and providing an enhanced product offering to our customers.”

The facility, which closed in 2011 due to poor market conditions, receives billets from ArcelorMittal LaPlace, Louisiana, reheats them and rolls them into light structural shapes and merchant bars for the construction market. The reopening will enhance ArcelorMittal’s long product portfolio by producing one- to three-inch angles and one- to four-inch flats.

“The support from the United Steelworkers and local and state government was instrumental in our ability to make this restart feasible, allowing us to once again produce quality steel products in Harriman,” added Venkataramanan.

Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty said: “We work hard to help companies locate and expand in our state, but when a company like ArcelorMittal is able to restart its operations, it gives the community a tremendous sense of revival and renewed momentum. I appreciate ArcelorMittal’s commitment to Roane County and its continued investment to our state.”

All employees will go through an extensive safety orientation and job training to ensure the safety of both the workforce and workplace.