Republic Plans New Remelt Operation

Republic Special Metals Inc., a subsidiary of Patriot Forge, plans to build a $60- to $70-million plant in North Jackson, OH, where it would remelt specialty alloy steels to produce forging ingots for aerospace and other manufacturers. Mahoning County officials have granted real-estate tax abatements for the project.

Republic Special Metals presently operates a melt shop in Canton, OH, with four vacuum-arc remelting furnaces and an electroslag remelting unit. It supplies ingots and billets to forgers and other hot-working operations. At the same site, it also forges VAR- and ESR-remelted ingots on a 3,700-ton press. Finishing capabilities include grinding, lathe turning, milling, and saw cutting, and ultrasonic inspection is available on site.

The company is owned by Patriot Forge, Branford, ON, which bought it from Republic Engineered Steels in 2002.

No timetable for the new plant has been announced. The 200,000-ft² plant would be built on a 180-acre site in North Jackson, near Youngstown. A spokesman for Republic Special Metals has said the North Jackson site provides sufficient electric-power availability as well as highway access to the Canton plant and raw materials suppliers.