Hollow structural sections manufacturer Atlas Tube Inc. has announced plans to build a manufacturing facility in Blytheville.

The new facility will house two state-of-the-art tube mills capable of producing 2- to 12-inch tubing and rounds with up to a 16-inch diameter. The facility will also house a 72-inch, 70,000-pound 5/8 wall slitter. Atlas Tube’s total investment will be $55 million.

"We're very excited about being in Blytheville and building a world-class facility next to Nucor Steel. This location, combined with our other plants, strategically positions Atlas Tube to better serve the entire North American HSS market," said Barry Zekelman, CEO of Atlas Tubes, Inc. "Local and state authorities made it an easy decision to locate in Arkansas."

Construction of the new 450,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art plant, which will employ 100 people, will begin immediately. Production is scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2006 and be fully operational by the end of 2006.

Atlas Tube is one of the largest and most advanced manufacturers of hollow structural sections in the world.