According to local reports, Gerdau Long Steel North America will close its Joliet Township, Illinois merchant bar facility by the end of this year. About 110 workers will be affected.
A company press release stated that the facility, which produced about 24,000 tons of steel flats and squares per year (less than 1 percent of the company's North American production), was "not competitive for the business."
The release further stated, "Gerdau has already shifted large volumes to its North American network of mills and will continue to transfer product offerings."