As a native of the area, Heather Vanater can do little to hide her joy at seeing Nucor’s massive investment in Mason County take shape.
And knowing that her company played a leading role in bringing a monumental transformation to an area of West Virginia replete with economic challenges.
“We have been part of something that has changed the lives of families,” said Vanater, Appalachian Power’s Economic & Business Development manager, with a level of emotion that conveys her ties to this community. “How much better does it get?!”
Those in Apple Grove, West Virginia, and the surrounding communities are finding out every day just how much better it’s getting as Nucor draws closer to beginning operation at its massive sheet mill. This operation will employ 800 people directly and bring a secondary economic impact unlike any other in the region.
Nucor’s $4 billion sheet mill operation under construction in Apple Grove (adjacent to the Ohio River, 15 miles south of Point Pleasant) is the single largest capital investment in West Virginia history, and the flurry of construction activity reflects that. The mill just marked the halfway point of construction.
From attracting the company to the site through developing solutions, AEP and Appalachian Power personnel have walked alongside Nucor, which will be Appalachian Power’s biggest customer.
Nucor acquired the roughly 2,000 acres from AEP thanks to site readiness programs. Nearby, AEP is building a new substation to provide 345-kV service.
“Being able to land a project of this caliber is such a milestone and benchmark not only for us, but also for the state,” Vanater said.
Appalachian Power President Aaron Walker added, “This is home. APCo is home. We understand the population. We understand the residents. We understand how to make things happen and get things done here.”
In the community, Nucor has set off a domino effect, benefitting countless families.
“Nucor is transforming our state and our community,” said Morganne Tenney, executive director, Putnam County Development Authority. “It is a generational impact.”
“We’re talking about a lifetime of jobs for generations, and with the investments in small businesses to come, the school districts, and more…it’s an incredible impact. I know 30-40 years from now, that facility will still be there, and we had a part in making that happen. We had a part in really turning around that community.”
When operational in 2027, the Apple Grove operation will produce 3 million tons of steel products annually for auto manufacturing, construction and other industries. The Mason County site is strategically located to efficiently serve customers in the Midwest and Northeast, the two largest sheet-consuming regions in the U.S.