The expansion of Ternium’s Shreveport facility includes a second coil paint line with annual capacity of 120,000 tons.
New, high-paying jobs created due to local steel plant expansion.
Ternium, one of the nation’s leading steel producers, is expanding its operations at the Port of Caddo-Bossier.
The company announced it is adding a second coil coating paint line at the Shreveport plant. The move will create 35 new direct jobs with an average salary of $69,000 a year, plus benefits, Ternium said in a news release. Those new jobs are in addition to the 157 currently at the plant.
“This is exciting news for the Port of Caddo-Bossier and Northwest Louisiana,” said Eric England, executive port director. “Our team’s priority is to build a strong working relationship with all of our tenants, while fulfilling our mission to be an important economic engine for Caddo and Bossier parishes. So, when one of our current tenants announces an expansion like this with new jobs for the area, it shows we’re doing our job.”
Louisiana Economic Development (LED) estimates project the project will create 98 additional indirect jobs in the region, for a total of 133 new jobs.
“Ternium’s expansion at the Port of Caddo-Bossier will bring new jobs and economic momentum to the northwest region of our state,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said in the release. “Ternium’s decision to reinvest in its Shreveport plant is a testament to Louisiana’s welcoming business climate, highly skilled workforce and world-class transportation infrastructure.”
Work on the expansion is set to begin in the first quarter of this year. The company expects the new line to be up and running by mid-2024.
The coil coating process consists of cleaning, treating and painting flat sheet metal that is rolled into coils. The new line’s annual capacity of 120,000 tons will increase production capacity in the United States by 53 percent. The move is part of a larger strategy to provide a full menu of state-ofthe-art options for the metal building industry.
“This new coil coating expansion in Shreveport is part of our strategy to support the joint growth of our company and that of our loyal customers by adding complementary volume, range and services to our existing local platform,” Michael Guhl, president of Ternium USA, said. “We are thankful to Governor Edwards and the LED team for their tireless work on behalf of the greater Shreveport community and their support for local manufacturing, and we look forward to continuing to invest in our people and production capabilities.”
The state of Louisiana offered Ternium an incentive package that includes an extensive use of LED’s FastStart, the nation’s leading workforce development program for 12 years running. The incentives include a $1 million performance-based award from the Economic Development Award Program to support infrastructure costs. The company is expected to utilize the state’s Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.
“Ternium USA strengthens our community, and by adding these new and retained well-paying jobs, they are continuing to make a notable impact,” said Justyn Dixon, president and CEO of the North Louisiana Economic Partnership. “We are proud to have such a strong company solidify their commitment to the region through continued investment and job creation. This significant investment speaks highly of the Caddo Parish community and is evidence that North Louisiana can win when it comes to advanced manufacturing.”
Caddo Commission President Lyndon B. Johnson celebrated Ternium’s commitment to Caddo Parish.
“Ternuim’s $98 million investment to enhance production capabilities at the Port of Caddo-Bossier creates additional highpaying jobs for our citizens and widens the economic footprint in Caddo Parish,” Johnson said. “We look forward to the possibilities that this investment will bring.”
