VP Vance, Ohio leaders speak on major investment made at Middletown steel plant
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio —
United States Vice President JD Vance headlined the list of political leaders who spoke at an event in Middletown, the vice president’s hometown, Friday afternoon.
The event was held in conjunction with the announcement of a $1 billion investment into Cleveland-Cliffs’ Middletown Works steel plant. The project is supported by a $500 million award form the U.S. Department of Energy.
See Vance’s full comments from Friday in the video player below.
A press release from the company says the investment is expected to be deployed over four years, with the work expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Middletown Works is the flagship automotive-grade steels plant for Cleveland-Cliffs and is particularly suited to exposed parts of cars, trucks and SUVs.
Vance’s grandfather worked at the same company decades ago, back when it was an ARMCO plant.
“This is a great day to be a resident of Middletown, Ohio,” the vice president said at the beginning of his remarks. “Pawpaw was a welder for 40 years. Today, his grandson stands in this place as Vice President of the Untied States.”
According to the company, a key component of the project is the construction of an advanced cogeneration facility that will capture and utilize blast furnace gas to generate electricity and steam for on-site consumption.
Cleveland-Cliffs says this will improve overall energy efficiency, reduce reliance on externally supplied electricity, and lower operating costs. The completion of the blast furnace rebuild is planned for the first quarter of 2030.
“It has been 125 years since ARMCO opened the Middletown Steel Plant. Today, under the direction of Cleveland-Cliffs, steel production remains a cornerstone of our local economy and an important part of our community’s growth,” Middletown City Manager Ashley Combs said in a statement. “This historic investment in their Middletown facility further solidifies Cleveland-Cliffs as strong and steady presence in our community.”
“If you take a look at the people who attended today’s announcement, you can begin to understand just how essential the steel industry and Cleveland-Cliffs are to Middletown and the entire region,” Middletown Mayor Elizabeth Slamka said, also in a statement.
At peak construction, the company says more than 1,500 workers will be employed, including local union building trades.
During his speech, Vance also touted the successes of the Trump Administration of bringing jobs like those being done at Cleveland-Cliffs back to the U.S. from overseas.
He also attacked Democrats for their policies, and supported the wide array of Ohio candidates who were in attendance Friday.