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Nucor Sees Record Shipments — And the End of West Virginia Mill Construction
05/04/2026 - Nucor Corp. steel mills set an all-time shipping record during the first three months of 2026, and its new West Virginia sheet mill is entering the final phases of construction, Nucor executives have said.
In announcing first-quarter earnings last week, executives said the mills shipped 7 million tons of steel, more than they have shipped during any other single quarter in company history.
Nucor chief executive officer Leon Topalian said the company is benefitting from lower imports and increasing contributions from recently completed mill projects. Topalian also said Nucor’s outlook is positive, with order backlogs now at their highest level since the second quarter of 2021.
On another front, Nucor president and chief operating officer Stephen Laxton said the West Virginia mill is 85% complete.
“By the end of the year, we expect commissioning, inspecting and testing of all equipment across the mill to be complete. Following commissioning, our priority will be to operate safely and reliably as commercial shipments begin ramping up in early 2027,” he said.
Laxton said the commissioning sequence will begin with the mill’s pickling line, followed by the cold mill, the construction-focused galvanizing line and the automotive-focused galvanizing line.
“Ultimately, we'll get to commissioning the meltshop and hot mill later in the year. By the end of this year, we'll be done with all the commissioning. We're on track to hit that milestone," Laxton said.
Nucor chief executive officer Leon Topalian said the company is benefitting from lower imports and increasing contributions from recently completed mill projects. Topalian also said Nucor’s outlook is positive, with order backlogs now at their highest level since the second quarter of 2021.
On another front, Nucor president and chief operating officer Stephen Laxton said the West Virginia mill is 85% complete.
“By the end of the year, we expect commissioning, inspecting and testing of all equipment across the mill to be complete. Following commissioning, our priority will be to operate safely and reliably as commercial shipments begin ramping up in early 2027,” he said.
Laxton said the commissioning sequence will begin with the mill’s pickling line, followed by the cold mill, the construction-focused galvanizing line and the automotive-focused galvanizing line.
“Ultimately, we'll get to commissioning the meltshop and hot mill later in the year. By the end of this year, we'll be done with all the commissioning. We're on track to hit that milestone," Laxton said.
