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Ford's historic Rouge complex helping reshape Michigan again, officials say
Published: Friday, June 22, 2012, 8:15 AM Updated: Friday, June 22, 2012, 9:00 AM
Michael Wayland | mwayland@mlive.com By Michael Wayland | mwayland@mlive.com
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Tour: Severstal Dearborn
Enlarge Michael Wayland | mwayland@mlive.com Tour: Severstal Dearborn gallery (16 photos)
DEARBORN, MI- Nearly a century after Ford’s River Rouge complex helped Michigan become a manufacturing leader, officials Thursday celebrated a "new era” of manufacturing at the historic site.
Severstal North America, a subsidiary of Russian steelmaker Severstal, celebrated the completion of a multi-year $1.4 billion investment at the former Rouge Steel Co. plant inside the historic complex.
"We’re reinventing Michigan to create a new era here,” Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder told media after a ceremony ushering in the upgrades from inside the plant. "The best-known place in the world of the last century for manufacturing might, for creativity, for innovation is where we stand and sit today – on the Rouge complex and we should be so proud of that.”
"The geography we’re on now put the world on wheels.”
Severstal made the investments to modernize the facility to produce lightweight, high-strength, flat-rolled products for several fields, including the automotive industry. Officials believe one of the easiest ways to increase fuel economy is by reducing the weight of the vehicles.
The investment was part of a $3 billion investment in Dearborn and Mississippi. Outside of the U.S., the steelmaker has assets in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Italy, France and Africa.
Severstal bought the plant in 2004 for $285 million.
Severstal-ribbon-cutting.JPGView full sizeMichael Wayland | MLive.comMichigan Gov. Rick Snyder (third from right) participates in a ceremonial ribbon cutting June 21 for Severstal Dearborn with Russian Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak (first on right) and company officials.
Snyder was joined during the ceremony inside of the state-of-the-art facility by Russian Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak, Severstal CEO Alexey Mordashov and other company officials.
As they stood under a giant banner that mimicked a Diego Rivera industrial painting, several officials touted the international collaboration between the countries as one they hope to continue to grow.
"An economic collaboration is exactly what gives us that stabilizing effect for the political ground,” Kislyak said. "You cannot be successful in the long run if you don’t have significant, stable, reliable, economic collaboration."
Snyder defined the collaboration as a "global opportunity” for the state to attract more investments and create more jobs.
Severstal is asking the U.S. Department of Energy for a $320-million loan. The company was rejected in January for a $730-million loan.
Mordashov told media that the loan will help the company and automotive industry.
"We believe that new modern technology will enable our position in the market place, he said. "I think the automotive (industry) needs better steel to become better, to become more effective and efficient to improve fuel efficiency of American cars."
Ford founder Henry Ford started building the Rogue complex in the late-1910s. It was first completed in 1928.
Email Michael Wayland: MWayland@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/MikeWayland
Related topics: Rick Snyder, Severstal
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