Around 26pc of the total steel produced in the US in 2019 came from Indiana according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) data.
The Hoosier state produced 25.9pc or 24.7mn nt of the total 95.2mn mt of crude steel produced and shipped in the US in 2019, AISI reported. However, the state’s contribution to national production dipped compared to 2018. Indiana’s steel output decreased by 7.5pc in 2019 compared with 26.7mn nt produced in 2018, a year when it had contributed 27.8pc to 96.1mn nt of steel produced and shipped nationally.
Despite the drop in contribution and challenges associated with the idling of furnaces by ArcelorMittal and US Steel during the year, Indiana kept its lead in producing steel in 2019, a feat it has achieved for the past 42 years.
Northwest Indiana is home to half of the nation’s BOF capacity due to access provided by the Great Lakes. The state is also home to SDI with headquarters in Fort Wayne and a Nucor mini mill in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Additionally, the state has proximity to neighboring cities and states with heavy automotive ties such as Detroit and Ohio. Indiana also houses many metal fabricators, distribution centers, and scrap yards which are part of the steel supply chain.