Nucor has already hired 350 workers at its sprawling steel plant under construction in the Mason County community of Apple Grove.
Nucor West Virginia Vice President and General Manager Johnny Jacobs said Wednesday on MetroNews “Talkline” the hiring is set to take another turn in a few months.
“We’re hiring,” Jacobs said. “We have 350 teammates to date. We will in the coming months be doing our first entry level pool which will give many people an opportunity, that’s going to be coming in a couple of months.”
Jacobs said it will be widely-advertised when the entry level jobs come open.
The plant, now with an estimated cost of $4 billion, has been under construction for nearly two years. Jacobs said the company remains hopeful production will begin next year.
“We’re nearly 60 percent complete on the project. We anticipate, and are still on target, to start the facility up at the end of next year,” Jacobs said. “We’ll start cold commissioning the equipment in the coming months with operations beginning in late 2026.”
Jacobs said the plant will have 2.5 million square feet under roof or approximately 60 square acres.
Nucor will produce sheet steel at the plant for a variety of industries. It will have a 3 million-ton sheet capacity.
Jacobs said the average annual salary at Nucor will be $85,000. He said the jobs will be generational.
“The people that we are hiring today—their children and their grandchildren—are going to have opportunities to see and work at this facility.” he said. “We have facilities that have just recently celebrated their 50th year and have been touching lives that entire time.”
Making the most of the opportunity
Del. Jonathan Pinson, R-Mason, said he has several friends who have already been hired by Nucor. He said one of his top priorities is to take advantage of what else can develop because of Nucor’s presence.
“I have been working at communicating with other communities in other states that have seen Nucor facilities built to make sure that we are doing what we need to do in West Virginia to build around the Nucor community,” Pinson said Wednesday on MetroNews Midday.
Jacobs said Nucor continues to work hard to be a good neighbor.
“We want to be part of this community. We just don’t want to be the significant green building as you drive up and down (Route) 2,” he said. “We want to be part of this community that’s giving back through our financial contributions to the community and through our time to the community.”
Job applications for Nucor can be found at nucor.com/careers.