CHICAGO — Zekelman Industries announced today that it is nearing completion of its newest state-of-the-art facility constructed to produce a wide range of galvanized tubular products for the electrical, fence, solar tracker and solar foundation markets. It is located just west of Chicago in Rochelle, IL, a city known as the “Hub City,” with great access to rail and major interstate routes. This facility is the company’s 18th factory. It has 1 million square feet under roof, including four in-line galvanizing tube mills with capacity to exceed 300,000 tons annually and an automated hot-dip galvanizing line capable of production in excess of 100,000 tons annually. The facility will support Wheatland Tube, Western Tube and Picoma customers.
This facility utilizes cutting-edge technology for both in-line and hot-dip galvanizing operations. Barry Zekelman, chairman and CEO, said, “Our engineering efforts on the front end were focused on the goal to build a world-class facility that sets the standard for safety, quality and productivity, while ensuring sustainable manufacturing practices.” When fully operational, these mills will be the fastest in the world, feeding directly into the factory’s automated warehouse to deliver the highest quality products and solutions to customers.
Tom Muth, executive vice president and COO of the tube and pipe division, indicated, “While initial production has already started on two of the high-speed in-line galvanization mills, we will be working through the end of this year to complete installation and commissioning. We couldn’t be prouder of our dedicated team and network of contractors who are making this happen, along with the support we have received from the City of Rochelle.”
Full operations are set to commence in January of 2023. The company is currently hiring, with plans to add another 150 employees by December 2022.