Cleveland Cliffs Inc (CLF)

[Saving Grace]

ArcelorMittal operating at full capacity and hiring!

Cliffs pellets are again in high demand as scrap junkyards hoard supply

One Northeast Ohio mill that’s managing to buck the trend, at least according to the local union, is ArcelorMittal Cleveland.

United Steelworkers Local 979 represents about 1,500 hourly workers at the plant, and none are on layoff or reduced time, said president Dan Boone.

They’ve even taken applications to hire more.

Orders are up as of Jan.1, he said, and the plant is operating near full capacity.

It’s not all smooth sailing — the union and company are in the midst of contract negotiations right now and unfairly dumped steel still poses a challenge — but the mill’s efficiency and the markets it serves have helped bolster it.

ArcelorMittal Cleveland serves the automotive, appliance and spot markets, the latter meaning it sells to secondary steel companies that then turn the metal into products. It’s also notable that it makes advanced high-strength steel, a strong, light metal that works well in the automotive industry’s quest to make more fuel-efficient vehicles.

“The Cleveland plant is poised to function well into the next 20 years,” Boone said.

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20160117/NEWS/160119815/weathering-weak-times-in-steel-industry