Nucor Corp. will invest $59 million to expand its Vulcraft, Ind., manufacturing facility in St. Joe, and add the ability to produce steel grating products. The investment is expected to create 20 new full-time jobs, adding to the more than 300 people currently employed at the facility.
“Vulcraft is where Nucor got its start in the steel industry, and it remains an important part of our growth today,” said John Hollatz, executive vice president of Fabricated Construction Products.
Nucor acquired Vulcraft in 1962, marking the company’s entry into the steel industry. Nucor expanded the business from a single production facility in South Carolina before deciding to produce its own steel. Vulcraft Indiana opened in 1972 as Nucor’s fifth Vulcraft facility and is one of nine such facilities operating across North America.
Vulcraft is a producer of open-web steel joists, joist girders, and steel decking. It has an annual joist and deck production capacity of about 1.2 million tons.
This is the company’s fourth major investment in Indiana in recent years. In 2022, the company announced a $290 million investment to modernize its sheet mill operations in Crawfordsville. The following year, Nucor announced plans to build a $115 million utility infrastructure production facility nearby. The company also invested $28.5 million to build an insulated metal panel production facility in Waterloo, adjacent to its existing Nucor Building Systems Indiana campus.
“We appreciate Governor Braun and state and local DeKalb County leaders for their support as we continue to expand our manufacturing footprint in Indiana,” Hollatz added.
