Thomas Steel Strip plans $8.5M expansion

Voltage Valley provides incentive to enter rechargeable battery market

WARREN -- Thomas Steel Strip plans to invest $8.5 million in the plant here and hire 42 new workers to support its entry into the rechargeable battery market, the company announced Thursday.

The investment is on new machinery and equipment for the new product line, according to Nina Holliday with Team NEO, a private, nonprofit business accelerator that joined with other economic development agencies to help the company.

It's expected all of the jobs should be in place within one year, she said.

Thomas Steel Strip, a subdivision of India-based Tata Steel, "sees great opportunity in the Voltage Valley for the rechargeable battery market" as electric vehicles become more popular with consumers and fleet users and as homes become more reliable on sustainable power sources, a release states.

The company in Warren for more than 100 years provides a wide range of electroplated steel that's incorporated in products like alkaline and rechargeable batteries, automotive applications, sporting ammunition and decorative products. It also produces cold-rolled and plated steel products for automotive, construction, packaging, engineering and other industries.

The facility on West Market Street already employs 220 workers. The growth will help it retain those jobs, according to the company.

Coming together to help Thomas Steel Strip was Team NEO, JobsOhio, the state's private nonprofit economic development agency, the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan.

JobsOhio has committed $100,000 toward the project.

Company executives cited the region's closeness to markets and workforce as reasons for the expansion.

"Our goal is to be a proud employer for another 100 years. Thanks to collaboration like this we feel certain we can achieve this goal," Mike Morris, president / CEO of Thomas Steel Strip, said.

Shea MacMillan, the chamber's director of economic development projects, said conversations on the expansion started in late in the third quarter of 2020. Part of the talks, he said, was convincing company leaders overseas to make the local investment.

"Seeing a local company grow into the rechargeable battery market speaks to their creativity and perseverance," said MacMillan.

Said Ryan, D-Howland,"The Mahoning Valley is rapidly being recognized as America's 'Voltage Valley.' The clean and renewable energy revolution will help reshape our region's economy, revitalize our workforce, and address global energy and environmental concerns."

Voltage Valley increasingly is becoming the nickname given to the region because of the investments in and hope and prosperity surrounding the electric-vehicle industry. It's part of the Valley's ongoing transformation from its Steel Valley and Rust Belt nicknames -- the former due to the region's once-thriving steel industry and the latter given to conjure images of decaying mills after steelmaking's demise.

Its epicenter now is Lordstown with the billions of investments by General Motors and LG Chem of South Korea on an electric vehicle battery-cell manufacturing plant, and Lordstown Motors Corp., which plans to launch a battery-powered pickup truck this year. But, officials believe that's just the start and believe there will be positive ripples in the service and supply chains by companies that want to be close to and do business with the two companies and work happening at BRITE Energy Innovators, the only clean energy and energy storage startup incubator in Ohio that's in downtown Warren.