Steel producer starts construction on Kentucky plant

Kansas - Steel producer Nucor Corp. has broken ground as construction begins on its new $1.7 billion manufacturing mill in Kentucky.

The plant in Meade County is expected to create 400 full-time jobs when steel plate production begins in 2022, with average annual compensation of $72,000.

Nucor announced its plans last year, and the new mill is a legacy of former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin's term in office. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, Bevin's successor, said the plant will be a “difference-maker" for the economies of Meade County and the surrounding region.

Nucor executives expect the project will create an average of 960 temporary construction jobs, peaking at 1,500, Beshear's office said.

The company recently completed the first phase of an $826 million expansion project at its Nucor Steel Gallatin mill in Ghent, Kentucky. That mill produces flat-rolled steel coils.