Summer Launch Set for United Steel Supply Facility at Ports of Indiana

Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville (Ports of Indiana Photograph)

INDIANAPOLIS –– The Ports of Indiana on April 23 reported that United Steel Supply LLC will invest up to $10 million to open a steel processing and painting facility at its rail-served Jeffersonville, Ind., location on the Ohio/Mississippi river system.

Austin, Tex.-based United Steel Supply is a steel processor and distributor for the metal roofing and metal building industry, and has operated since 2019 as a joint venture with Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI), the fourth largest U.S. producer of carbon steel products.

The company purchased a 100,000 square-foot building at 5150 Maritime Road from the Port, and entered into a 75-year land lease on 11.5 acres. The new facility will be located a quarter mile from SDI’s Jeffersonville facility, which will serve as a key supplier, according to the Port. Jeffersonville will be United Steel Supply’s fifth location; it also has operations in Terre Haute, Ind.; Mississippi; Oregon; and Texas.

United Steel Supply is slated to begin renovations immediately, with initial operations scheduled to begin early in third-quarter 2024. It expects to create up to 20 jobs.

“We’re very pleased to join the growth-minded ecosystem at Jeffersonville and enter a long-term partnership with Ports of Indiana,” said Bret Curtis, President of United Steel Supply. “The Jeffersonville location offers a unique value proposition, including first-class multimodal transportation services, existing steel industry partners, and a vibrant community that encourages economic growth—all of which provide a competitive benefit for our business and customers.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome such a high-caliber company as the newest member of our Jeffersonville port,” Jeffersonville Port Director George Ott said. “United Steel will not only create new high-paying jobs, but it will also drive new business for other port companies.”

“This is a great, fast-growing company that provides high-quality steel for use in the agriculture, commercial, industrial, and residential markets, and it’s a perfect fit for our port’s steel campus,” said Jody Peacock, CEO of Ports of Indiana, which also includes the Burns Harbor and Mount Vernon ports. “We’re excited to provide United Steel Supply with access to multiple transportation modes, synergies with existing port companies, and a strategic competitive advantage to support long-term growth.”

Among the railroads directly serving the Ports of Indiana are Evansville Western Railway, CSX, Louisville & Indiana Railroad, and Norfolk Southern.

In related developments, infrastructure investments surpassing $1.1 million were recently completed at Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville through a yearlong series of road and rail projects by the port and MG Rail, its rail switcher. Also, the Ports of Indiana announced that its 2023 tonnage was the second highest in its 63-year history; and has hired Matt Service and Ian Hirt to help develop new cargo and rail projects.