Nucor Reports First Heats at West Virginia Mill and First Coils on New Galv Line
10/29/2026 - Nucor Corp.’s West Virginia sheet mill reached a new construction milestone in September as the meltshop produced its first heat, company executives have said.
Speaking during Nucor’s third-quarter earnings call, president and chief operating officer Stephen D. Laxton said the accomplishment comes as Nucor commissions equipment across the greenfield facility.
Earlier this month, the mill started pickling coils and shipping them to downstream Nucor divisions. The first coils from the hot mill, cold mill and a construction-grade galvanizing line are expected in December.
From there, the mill will ramp production in early 2027, targeting a 50% utilization rate by the end of next year.
In a separate development, Nucor’s new automotive-grade galvanizing line at its Berkeley facility in South Carolina was put into service earlier in October. The company is targeting a 50% utilization rate on that line by mid-2027 and is looking to ramp to full production by the end of the year.
“Taken together, our investments in West Virginia and South Carolina enhance Nucor's ability to serve the automotive market, where we are relatively underweighted today. As both projects ramp and complete customer qualifications, we will build on the strong relationships we already have in place with many of North America's leading automakers,” Laxton said.
Earlier this month, the mill started pickling coils and shipping them to downstream Nucor divisions. The first coils from the hot mill, cold mill and a construction-grade galvanizing line are expected in December.
From there, the mill will ramp production in early 2027, targeting a 50% utilization rate by the end of next year.
In a separate development, Nucor’s new automotive-grade galvanizing line at its Berkeley facility in South Carolina was put into service earlier in October. The company is targeting a 50% utilization rate on that line by mid-2027 and is looking to ramp to full production by the end of the year.
“Taken together, our investments in West Virginia and South Carolina enhance Nucor's ability to serve the automotive market, where we are relatively underweighted today. As both projects ramp and complete customer qualifications, we will build on the strong relationships we already have in place with many of North America's leading automakers,” Laxton said.
