Orrcon Steel has officially opened its new Unanderra mill, which will serve demand in sectors including infrastructure and renewables.
According to parent company Bluescope, $70 million was invested in the new mill, which is the most advanced factory of its kind in Australia,
“This new pipe and tube mill gives new meaning to this historic 65-year-old building with a rich history, making stainless steel up to the early 1990s,” The Illawarra Mercury reports Tania Archibald, Bluescope’s CEO of Australian Steel Products, as saying at the launch.
“Breathing new life into the facility, the multi-storey 300m-long building now houses Australia’s most advanced pipe and tube mill.”
An estimated 20 new full-time jobs will be created at the site.
In a statement on Linkedin, Bluescope said the new mill builds on the existing range of tubular products made at Orrcon’s Salisbury (Queensland) and O’Sullivans Beach (South Australia) sites.
“Including advanced robotics and automation, the state-of-the-art mill can produce up to 90 metres of tubular product per minute, featuring large circular, square, and rectangular hollow sections up to 10 inches in diameter,” it said.
“We congratulate the teams at Orrcon Steel and BlueScope who have made this a reality, with a special mention of Brendan McNally (Unanderra Manufacturing Manager), who has worked tirelessly to oversee and ensure the project’s completion.”
Guests at the opening included NSW Wollongong MP Paul Scully, Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery, and Bluescope’s chair Jane McAloon and CEO Mark Vassella.
BlueScope Steel acquired Orrcon Steel and Fielders, both steel products companies, from Hills Holdings a decade ago for $80 million.
Picture: credit Orrcon Steel
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