APPLE GROVE, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The rain could not dampen the excitement for a major groundbreaking ceremony in the small, but growing Mason County community of Apple Grove. Nucor executives and federal, state, and local elected officials were all on hand to help break ground Friday for the company’s $3.1 billion steel mill. The plant will be built on a 1700-acre site about 25 miles north of Huntington, WV on State Route 2.
The line of 545 people holding shovels at the groundbreaking ceremony was the length of seven football fields, setting a record in the Guinness Book of World Records.
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice was one of the speakers and dirt diggers. He was quoted on his social media page saying, “Today, we broke ground on the largest manufacturing investment in state history—Nucor Steel in Mason County. Their decision to invest in WV represents a true vote of confidence in our state’s strength, resilience, and readiness to seize opportunities. This is more than just a construction project. It symbolizes progress and the promise of a brighter future for our communities.”
US Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito were also among the elected officials.
Manchin said, “Today’s Nucor groundbreaking in Mason County is an opportunity to take our state’s proud industrial legacy to the next level.”
Capito added, “Nucor’s establishment in Mason County will put our state at center stage in supporting critical infrastructure and national security efforts in the future. I’m proud to support this project and excited for what’s ahead.”
Several local and state elected officials were also on hand for the event.
WV Delegate Patrick Lucas (R-Cabell) said Nucor’s investment will have “an incredible effect on the local economy.”
Nucor officials say the steel mill will provide employment for 800 people. It is also expected to create 2,000 construction jobs. Work will begin immediately in what is expected to be two years of construction.