During the company’s second-quarter conference call last week, Ferriola told analysts that production of pickled and oiled coils on the Kentucky line began earlier this month and production of galvanized coils is to start in August. 

“With 500,000 tons of annual capacity, this 72-inch galvanizing line will be the widest hot-rolled galvanizing facility in North America,” he said.

Meanwhile in Mexico, the galvanizing line Nucor is building with partner JFE Steel is on track for start-up later this year, Ferriola said.

Elsewhere, Nucor is continuing to ramp up production of its specialty cold mill in Arkansas.

“We are currently in trials for value-added applications, and customer acceptance has been excellent to this point,” Ferriola said.  “We are targeting to have as much as 20% of the new mill’s capacity booked with contract customers by year’s end,” he said.

Also, the company has three long products projects set to come on-line in the second half of this year: its new in-line rolling mill at its Marion, Ohio, bar mill; the merchant bar expansion at its Kankakee mill in Illinois; and its rebar micro-mill in Missouri.

“In all, we have 10 significant organic investments in various stages of development, representing a total capital investment of approximately US$3.5 billion that will deliver long-term profitable growth to our shareholders,” Ferriola said.