Commonwealth to invest in Kentucky

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has announced Commonwealth Rolled Products Inc. will invest more than $167 million in its Lewisport aluminum rolling mill. That decades-old plant, currently owned by New York-based American Industrial Partners (AIP), includes a sizable cast house and melt shop as part of its 2.3 million-square-foot complex.

“This is an exciting time for the company, our customers, employees and the local community,” says Commonwealth CEO Mike Keown. “The investment will allow us to complete the over $750 million investment program we started in 2015 to make the Lewisport facility the most modern and cost-competitive automotive and common alloy sheet plant in the United States. I want to thank our owners, American Industrial Partners, the State of Kentucky and Hancock County for their support.”

Commonwealth Rolled Products was established in December 2020 following the acquisition of the Lewisport facility by AIP. The aluminum rolling mill, which most recently operated as Aleris Corp., was founded in Lewisport in 1966 as Harvey Aluminum. The facility produces aluminum rolled products for the automotive and industrial markets.

According to the governor’s office, Commonwealth’s investment “builds on the state’s existing 230-plus metals-related operations, which employ approximately 25,000 Kentuckians. In 2021, Kentucky’s metals industry has spurred over $1.1 billion in planned investment and more than 1,700 planned new jobs for Kentucky residents.”

The Commonwealth investment will entail expenditures on new equipment and building upgrades to modernize the operation and better position Commonwealth to support automotive and industrial customers, according to the news release issued by the governor’s office.

In the sustainability section of its website, Commonwealth says it is continually “increasing the use of recycled content in our products.”