TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT) — Nucor Steel is investing $280 million into its Tuscaloosa operation to expand the plant’s product lines. Tuscaloosa City Council President Kip Tyner calls this move a game changer.

“Thats a major investment, and this is a huge win for not just the city, but for the entire county,” Tyner said. “It’s huge. You don’t see these types of announcements like this hardly anywhere right now with our economy struggling right now and people are laying off and lots of bad news. This is just a total opposite, and we are so excited for Nucor and the employees.”

The expansion will add a new product to the plant’s operation, and it will be a thin strong plate that will be produced at the Nucor Steel facility in Tuscaloosa. Justice Smyth said this major investment is a really big deal. He is the executive director at the Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority.

“What this project is going to do is going to allow the construction installation and operation of an additional mill stand which will work in tandem with their existing mill stand,” Smyth said. “And this will allow them to produce higher quality, thinner, stronger steel plating for their customers. And it will also allow them to produce a new product that’s not manufactured domestically, diamond plated steel.”

Smyth said Nucor Steel plans to start construction by the end of this year and will be finished by summer 2027.