In Arkansas, W&W|AFCO Steel will invest $18.7 million to establish a new steel fabrication facility in the former LM Wind Power building at the Port of Little Rock. The expansion will add 115 full-time jobs over five years. The Oklahome City-based company currently has four other locations in Arkansas, including three in Little Rock, employing a total of more than 400 Arkansans.
The Port of Little Rock location will allow W&W|AFCO Steel to expand its production of fabricated structural steel used in bridges and commercial buildings.
“W&W|AFCO Steel is proud to announce this expansion in Little Rock. Our bridge operations are headquartered in Little Rock and we are happy to seize the opportunity to make a productive plant out of this vacant building,” said Grady Harvell, President and COO of W&W|AFCO Steel. “The new facility will enhance our ability to continue providing competitive steel bridges to the state of Arkansas and the region as well as increase our production capacity for steel building products. We are happy to partner with [Arkansas Economic Development Commission], Little Rock and the Little Rock Port Authority in this expansion.”
AFCO Steel was founded in Little Rock in 1909 and sold in 2002 to W&W Steel of Oklahoma City. W&W|AFCO Steel is the largest structural steel fabricator and erector in the U.S., with 18 production facilities in 11 states covering 3.4 million square feet. The company’s steel products have been used in such projects as the Tesla Gigafactory in Sparks, NV; AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX; the Boeing 777X Composite Wing facility in Everett, WA; the National September 11th Memorial and Museum in New York, and the Big Rock Interchange in Little Rock.
“For more than a century, W&W|AFCO Steel has been a strong business partner in Arkansas,” said Governor Asa Hutchinson. “Much of Little Rock’s commercial buildings were built with AFCO steel, and I’m thrilled to see that a company that has invested so much in our community continues to prosper.”
“W&W|AFCO Steel’s decision to expand in Little Rock further solidifies our state’s position as a national steel leader,” said Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. “With a skilled workforce and competitive business environment, we continue to build on the economic momentum we’ve been seeing the past couple of years. I’m confident this expansion will continue to allow the company to reach their full potential.”
“W&W|AFCO Steel is a valuable community partner that understands Little Rock is a great place to expand its operations,” said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. “With its central location and access to multiple modes of transportation, the Port of Little Rock is the best location in the country to grow a business. We’re excited to see more than 100 new jobs come to the city as we continue growing forward with our economic development efforts.”
