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Strong as steel

Dunkirk plant invests in expansion

Submitted Photo Dunkirk officials recently took a tour of Dunkirk Specialty Steel LLC with General Manager Wendel Crosby (center). Pictured is Dunkirk Development Director Rebecca Yanus (left) and Dunkirk Mayor Willie Rosas.

A leading U.S. manufacturer of semi-finished and finished specialty steel products, Dunkirk Specialty Steel LLC, has invested millions of dollars in its Dunkirk facility since 2002.

In 2016 alone, it invested over $2 million in new equipment installation and upgrades to increase steel production at its Dunkirk facility. The investment created the opportunity for more full-time jobs and retained all current full-time positions.

Christopher Zimmer, executive vice president and chief commercial officer stated, “The installation of new equipment and the upgrades made to the existing equipment and facilities make us more efficient and able to compete with newer mills and foreign competitors. To continue to make these investments we must be profitable with an eye toward future revenue growth and increased employment levels.”

The Dunkirk facility currently has 255 employees.

The capital investment in the company’s 800,000-square-foot Dunkirk facility included the purchase of machinery and equipment to add new products and capabilities to the facility. The investment was necessary in order to manufacture material more safely and add new products that the company was not able to produce before. In addition, technology improvements and environmental upgrades have allowed the company to modernize and improve safety by over 100 percent.

In 2017, the company is pursuing additional opportunities for investing millions of dollars in capital to make the facility more competitive while maintaining and increasing employment levels, which will add additional jobs to the local economy.

Dunkirk Specialty Steel LLC General Manager Wendel Crosby said, “Dunkirk Specialty Steel plans to continue to modernize its operations with the goal of being more profitable and bringing more business and jobs to the area.  We are currently working on gaining the support from federal, state and local agencies as well as the United Steelworkers to expand our current capabilities. We believe that this will sustain the workforce and modernize our operations to handle business yet to come.”

Dunkirk Specialty Steel, LLC operates as a subsidiary of Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc. The Dunkirk facility is one of four of Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc.’s steel manufacturing facilities. It produces finished bar, rod and wire products in a wide variety of specialty steel grades sold to service centers, forgers and original equipment manufacturers. The products are produced from semi-finished long products supplied from the USAP Bridgeville, Pa., and North Jackson, Ohio, facilities. Products are sold on a global scale and serve the aerospace, heavy equipment/auto, power generation and oil and gas markets.

“Dunkirk Specialty Steel LLC is an outstanding employer within the city of Dunkirk. The city looks forward to providing the necessary support needed for continuing the growth and success of Dunkirk Specialty Steel LLC,” Mayor Wilfred Rosas said. “It is businesses like Dunkirk Specialty Steel LLC that play an important role in shaping the future of our local economy.”

Rosas said he reached out to the Dunkirk-based business when it was having a wastewater issue. As a result Rosas and his staff took a tour of the facility and were able to help with fines levied against the business in order to get the issue fixed.

“I am keeping a close relationship with them,” Rosas added. “Whatever they need I am willing to help. This is another example of us working with the current employers in Dunkirk to see what we can do for them to be successful and to expand. They are expanding and they didn’t have to do it here, but they chose the city of Dunkirk. I’m very proud of that because, again, that just shows that they’re dedicated to this plant in the city of Dunkirk and making it be productive.”

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