David Stickler, Big River Steel’s former CEO, has opened Hybar Steel, a steel mill that produces rebar in southern Mississippi County on the Mississippi River near Osceola. When Hybar is fully operational, it will employ more than 154 workers and will produce 700,000 tons of rebar annually.
Hybar also entered into a “hybrid” construction partnership with Lexicon, a company that specializes in building steel mills. Plans are now underway to construct another rebar producing mill adjacent to the current facility. Construction is expected to start late summer or early fall with costs $100 million less than the previous mill because the site’s drainage work, retention pond, and heavy haul road are already in place.
According to Mr. Stickler, he is not surprised Mississippi County has become the largest steel producing county in the United States by volume since public officials are easy to work with and the business atmosphere and workforce are outstanding. Hybar may also build more rebar mills as sites in Georgia and South Carolina have been examined.