Precoat Metals, a division of Sequa Corp., has signed a letter of intent to purchase a 150,000-square foot building for a new coil coating complex in the Southeast. The building is on a 22-acre site in the Birmingham, Ala., suburb of Hueytown.

The new location will support the growing needs of Precoat Metals’ existing customers in the Southeast and provide prospective customers with convenient access to an independent state-of-the-art facility. The new facility has both truck and rail access and is close to a number of regional metal suppliers, metal service centers and current customers.

Precoat Metals will expand the facility and relocate existing equipment in order to operate a 62-inch wide tandem coil coating line and slitter on the site. The coating line will be capable of leveling, embossing and applying a full range of organic coatings and laminates to cold rolled, galvanized, and Galvalume(TM) steel, as well as aluminum, in thicknesses from .010 to .060 inch.

The complex, which is expected to open in 2006, will encompass production, laboratory, warehouse, and administrative office space and will have approximately 80 employees.

Commenting on the planned expansion in the Southeast, Gerard M. Dombek, President of Precoat Metals, said, "Providing the ultimate in customer service is central to the way Precoat does business, and the addition of the Birmingham location reflects this fundamental operating principle. We intend to apply the full range of our proven Operational Excellence initiatives to ensure that our newest location provides the same high standards as our existing facilities."

Precoat Metals is a leading supplier of coil coating services to the building products, container, transportation, appliance, and manufactured products industries. Precoat Metals operates plants in St. Louis; Granite City, Ill.; Houston, Texas; Jackson, Miss.; Portage, Ind.; and McKeesport, Pa.

Sequa Corp. is a diversified industrial company with seven business units organized around six operating segments: aerospace, automotive, metal coating, specialty chemicals, industrial machinery, and other products.