ISG Begins Operations at Former LTV Plant

International Steel Group, Inc. began production of hot rolled steel sheet products at ISG-Cleveland, Inc. The company said that it has successfully started up the 84-inch hot strip mill and is converting steel slabs purchased from LTV Steel. ISG-Cleveland expects to begin shipping hot rolled steel coils to Northeastern Ohio customers this week.

"We are very pleased with the initial startup of the Cleveland hot strip mill," said Rodney Mott, president and CEO of ISG. "The facility is operating well and the quality of the products is excellent. We now have an experienced operating management team in place and the response of our customers and suppliers has been very encouraging. ISG-Cleveland is open for business," he said.

The Cleveland plant currently employed about 350 people, but expected that number to increase to about 1,200 people during the third quarter. The company expects the 84-inch hot strip mill to reach 95 percent of its operating capacity by August.

Further, the company expects its C-5 blast furnace to begin its startup later this month, with steelmaking operations beginning in June. The company’s ISG-Cleveland finishing operations, which consist of pickling, cold rolling, batch annealing, and temper rolling, were expected to startup in early June.

The International Steel Group also announced the appointment of John Mang III to the position of vice president of Operations, ISG Cleveland, Inc. Mang was most recently LTV Steel's senior vice president of operations.

 "Because of the very enthusiastic response of our customers, and assuming the continued strength of the marketplace, we could start operation of Cleveland's second blast furnace (C-6) later this summer," Mang said.

ISG operates integrated flat rolled steel plants located in Cleveland and East Chicago, Indiana and a finishing plant in Hennepin, Ill. ISG also operates a coke plant in Warren, Ohio and other facilities related to the operation of its steel plants.