STEEL APPEAL

Northeast Arkansas is home to the second-largest steel producing county in the entire country, Mississippi County. As the U.S. enjoys a manufacturing boom that shows no signs of slowing, the steel industry in the U.S. – and in Mississippi – will continue to grow.

The industry got its start in northeast Arkansas back in 1987 when the Nucor-Yamato Steel Company (NYS) began operating a mill that produces steel beams used to build skyscrapers and other structures. Five years later, in 1992, sister division Nucor Steel Arkansas began producing steel sheet used to make cars, appliances and other products. Since then, these two Nucor mills have invested billions of dollars to grow, creating thousands of high-paying jobs with generous benefits and plenty of opportunities for teammates to advance their careers.

Nucor’s two Arkansas steel mills are some of the biggest and most technologically advanced manufacturing facilities in the country. They each have developed innovative high-strength, lightweight steel products for the construction and automotive industries, and they are both world leaders in sustainable steel production. All Nucor mills recycle scrap metal into new steel products, which makes the company a world leader in low-carbon steel production. And the company continues to find ways to lower its environmental footprint. It has made a commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions intensity by another 35%, is supporting the development of renewable and other clean energy sources, and recently introduced the world’s first line of net-zero carbon emission steel products, called Econiq.

Today, Nucor’s plants are the model for the steel industry and the company is one of the most important corporate citizens in The Natural State. This advertising section in Blueprint will highlight the company’s many benefits, as told directly by the teammates of NucorYamato Steel Company and Nucor Steel Arkansas, who are building their futures as they help build America.

• 2,300 – Nucor Steel Jobs in Arkansas

• $100,000 – Median pay for Nucor teammates, excluding executives

• $36 billion – Net sales in 2021

• 23 million – Tons of ferrous scrap recycled into new steel annually

• $4,000 – Annual scholarship amount available to each Nucor teammate and their dependents

• Largest steel and steel products producer in North America

• Largest recycler of any type of material in the Western Hemisphere

• #1 Most Admired Metals Company (Fortune Magazine, 2021)

• Named one of Fortune Magazine’s 20 Best Large Workplaces in Manufacturing and Production, 2021

EAF Helper, Nucor-Yamato Steel

Hometown: Memphis

Age: 32

Years with Nucor: 7.5

BLUEPRINT: What is your educational background and what were your career plans?

WILLIAM SANDERS: I went to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and received a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology management as applied to engineering. I wanted to apply for a job in manufacturing and Nucor was offering an internship through UAPB. It was the perfect opportunity to put my educational skills to work.

BP: Why manufacturing? Do you enjoy working with your hands?

WS: Yes, I learned to work on cars, build fences and work on houses with my dad and uncle when I was younger.

BP: Was there a big learning curve once you joined the company?

WS: We get a lot of training on the job both directly for our role here and for other jobs, such as cross training. Nucor also offers educational reimbursement for college courses we may be interested in to continue learning.

BP: What is your schedule like?

WS: I work twelve-hour shifts, four days on and four days off, rotating shifts from days to nights, seven days a week.

BP: What do you like best about working for Nucor?

WS: The pay and the benefits that come with the job are great! I really enjoy the people I work with and know they are looking out for my safety. We refer to each other as teammates because we get to know each other and form a real bond.