Dennen Steel Opens First Southern U.S. Plant

The new 50,000 sq ft industrial building will stamp steel parts for automobiles, trucks, computers, household appliances, air conditioning and heating equipment, office furniture, agricultural equipment, metal containers, outdoor appliances, and also provide value engineering, direct mill material procurement, coil slitting, stamping, secondary operations, and sub-assemblies.

Dennen Steel Corporation (Grand Rapids, MI) cut the ribbon on its steel stamping facility in Iuka, MS, that will serve the Southern U.S. market. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant cut the ribbon on the new $7 million facility.

“I am excited to welcome Dennen Steel as the newest member of Mississippi’s business community. The investment and jobs being created by Dennen Steel are further proof that ‘Mississippi Works’, and the company’s decision to locate here will positively impact the community and the state as a whole,” Governor Bryant said. “I thank the company for its investment in our state, its confidence in our business climate and for creating these new job opportunities for the area’s workers.”

“This is an exciting day for Dennen Steel, Iuka, and Tishomingo County, and we’re very pleased to officially welcome the company to Mississippi,” said Brent Christensen, Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) executive director. “We thank our partners in Tishomingo County and at the Appalachian Regional Commission and Tennessee Valley Authority who worked to make today possible, and we look forward to watching Dennen Steel grow in north Mississippi in the years to come.”

Dennen Steel chairman Andrew Dennen reported that “we are making a significant investment here because we projected growth opportunities with existing and new customers in the region. Our steel service center heritage coupled with our contract manufacturing capabilities offers measurable value to industrial companies and original equipment manufacturers.”

The new plant represents an initial company investment of $7.5 million and will create 50 new jobs, with plans for expansion.
“Global competition forces manufacturers to focus on their core competencies and collaborate with companies like Dennen Steel that offer a unique value delivery solution,” stressed Lawrence Murray, the president of the Press Division. “Our customers are able to more effectively manage metal part-related costs and steel price volatility.”

The new 50,000 sq ft industrial building will be used to manufacture steel stamped parts for automobiles, trucks, computers, household appliances, air conditioning and heating equipment, office furniture, agricultural equipment, metal containers, outdoor appliances, and other products. The company provides value engineering, direct mill material procurement, coil slitting, stamping, secondary operations, and sub-assemblies.

“Our location near a multi-modal facility at the intersection of two waterways enables us to reduce inbound freight costs for the benefit of our Southern USA customers,” reported Andrew Dennen. “In addition, our value chain integration provides the benefits of time compression, waste elimination, and overall cost reduction for our customers.”

In October 2012 the National Association of Development Organizations awarded the Dennen Steel project the National Innovation Award. www.dennensteel.com