GFG Liberty aims for Illinois expansion

Sanjeev Gupta, chairman of the United Kingdom-based GFG Alliance, has reportedly indicated his company intends to double capacity at the former Keystone Steel & Wire scrap-fed electric arc furnace (EAF) mill in Bartonville, Illinois.

According to an online report by the Peoria, Illinois-based Journal Star, Sanjeev Gupta, who heads the GFG Alliance and its Liberty Steel portfolio company, visited Bartonville in mid-January and delivered “an upbeat message” to the plant’s managers and workers.

“We’ll double capacity of this plant and we’ll do it in the next two years,” Gupta reportedly stated. Gupta also reportedly indicated the mill will adopt the Liberty Steel name, changing it from Keystone Steel.

Executives who formerly worked for Keystone and have stayed on with Liberty were quoted by the Journal Star as saying the Bartonville mill was the largest of recent North American acquisitions by GFG, and that the mill figured prominently in the global firm’s future plans.

The mill has roots that trace back to 1889, with the production of wire fencing materials installed across the North America continent.

The mill’s managers say the facility contains efficient melt shop equipment and an experienced labor force. Employees quoted also said the mill has not been operating at full capacity, yet has remained profitable.

Executives, including Gupta, referred to making future investments at the site, potentially including a natural gas power plant to provide affordable energy to the EAF mill.