U.S. Steel acquires 49.9 percent of Big River Steel

U.S. Steel has acquired 49.9 percent of Big River Steel, located in Osceola, Ark.

Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel Corp. has announced a joint venture partnership agreement under which it has taken the first step toward acquiring Big River Steel through the purchase of a 49.9 percent ownership interest.

Big River, which operates a LEED-certified Flex Mill in northeast Arkansas, produces a variety of automotive and electrical steels and products for the automotive, energy, construction, and agricultural industries. Its recently announced Phase II-A expansion is expected to double the mill’s hot-rolled steel production capacity to 3.3 million tons annually.

"Five years ago we started Big River Steel with five employees with BIG ideas and today we are partnering with a company started by Andrew Carnegie 118 years ago," said David Stickler, chief executive officer of Big River Steel. "As partners with U.S. Steel, we intend to prove to the world that the best way to make steel is by combining the best of traditional integrated steel making with the best of electric arc furnace mini mill steel making."