Northwestern Steel shuts down after 122 years

摘要

Northwestern steel & Wire shut down its EAF, caster, and wire mill on May 20th after scrap dealers refused to send the company shipments. Only the shipping department was operating by mid-June. A company spokeswoman said it probably would close by mid-July.Northwestern has been operating in bankruptcy since Dec. 2000. It had 1,400 employees when it shut down. The Sterling, Ill., steelmaker joins Gulf Stats Steel, Qualitech, Trico, CSC Ltd., and GS Industries' Kansas City plant as steel facilities that have closed since last year (see list, p.21)."It is unfortunate that with orders and shipments rebounding and a loyal, hard-working workforce in the midst of implementing cost reductions throughout the business, some critical suppliers would choose not to support Northwestern at this time," says Frederick Rocchio Jr., the company's president and CEO.