November 22, 2008

Gerdau Ameristeel approval expansion of Jacksonville Steel Mill

Gerdau Ameristeel Corporation announced that it has approved the first two phases of the previously announced expansion of its Jacksonville, Florida steel mill. The total expansion project is planned to result in a melting and rolling capacity in excess of 1.0 million tons per year in rebar products.

Mr Jim Kerkvliet VP sales & marketing of Gerdau Ameristeel said that "With this expansion, our Jacksonville facility will be positioned to serve needs not only in Florida but also in the greater Southeast and Southern regions of the United States. Engineering, equipment procurement and subsequent construction will begin immediately.

Mr Terry Sutter COO of Gerdau Ameristeel said that "This expansion is part of the total capital strategy Gerdau Ameristeel has developed for our core products such as rebar, structural, merchants and wire rod. We are leaders in these products and we are committed to becoming the 'Supplier of Choice' for our customers. We have to earn our customers' business each and every day and that means leading with world class quality, on time delivery and capacity to meet their growth needs.”