HarbisonWalker International (HWI), supplier of refractory products and services, is reportedly investing $30 million to construct a new monolithic refractories manufacturing facility. The new facility will be located along the Ohio River Valley in the northern Kentucky/southern Ohio region of the United States. Capacity is expected to be 80,000 metric tons per year. The new facility will be operational by early 2018, according to the company.
The plant will reportedly feature a high degree of automation and technology, and will utilize lean techniques throughout its operations to maximize material flow efficiency and production. In addition, the facility will introduce advanced packaging technologies that are new to the North American market, according to HarbisonWalker.
The location of the new facility will reportedly provide distribution and logistics advantages. Its close proximity to accessible river, rail and highway transportation options will help ensure efficient delivery of raw materials from nearby suppliers and finished products to customers, according to the company.
“We are a U.S.-based company and have a strong U.S.-based manufacturing network. We have already made significant investments in individual plants in locations such as South Shore, Kentucky and White Cloud, Michigan as part of our plans to improve our manufacturing performance across the company,” says Douglas Hall, senior vice president, Integrated Supply Chain, HarbisonWalker International.
For more information, visit: www.thinkhwi.com