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Smorgon Steel, Australia's largest vertically integrated steel producer, has announced it will invest $25 million to open a new North American steelmaking facility in Botetourt County, Virginia. The Virginia plant will manufacture the company's new LiteSteel beam product and will create 55 new jobs in the community. "This is an important investment for the company and we went to great lengths to understand the market and select the right manufacturing location," said Doug Roem, General Manager of LiteSteel Technologies. Smorgon has decided to locate the plant on the site of a former steel pipe fabrication facility. “The site is well-configured for the manufacture of LiteSteel beam, and is located on a railway line and in close proximity to a major interstate highway,” the company said. The plant is expected to open in the second half of 2008. The facility will add to Smorgon's presence in Virginia. The company already has a metal recycling operation in Chesapeake, Virginia, as well as facilities in two other US states.