Aluminum Dynamics, Inc., part of Steel Dynamics, Inc. (SDI), plans to invest more than $200 million in a recycled aluminum slab center in Lowndes County, Mississippi. The planned facility would add recycled aluminum slab production near the company’s flat rolled aluminum mill in Columbus, OH. According to the announcement, the project is expected to create 100 new jobs. Operations are expected to begin in the first half of 2027.
The slab center will be located in the Golden Triangle Industrial Park, where it will process aluminum-bearing materials into saleable slabs for the aluminum products industry. The Mississippi Development Authority is supporting direct road and rail infrastructure improvements for the facility. The project also qualifies for tax incentives under the Mississippi Major Economic Impact Authority program, with additional support being provided by Lowndes County.
The Lowndes County project represents an update to the three-plant aluminum strategy previously reported by Light Metal Age. The original plan included the 650,000 tonne-per-year Columbus rolling mill and two supporting recycled slab centers in Mexico and Arizona. SDI has since relocated the planned Arizona slab center to Columbus.
The investment comes as Aluminum Dynamics continues ramping up its Columbus rolling mill. During the second quarter of 2026, the operation shipped 53,000 metric tonnes of flat rolled sheet and produced 84,000 metric tonnes of hot band. Two of the mill’s three cold rolling mills are operational, while commissioning of the third mill began in July. Once the final cold mill enters commercial operation, the facility will have access to its full annual capacity of 650,000 metric tonnes. The company has also received qualifications to supply automotive applications and expects automotive sales to begin before the end of 2026.
“We are eager to move forward with this project,” said Devin Crawford, operations manager at Aluminum Dynamics, who also thanked the state and local organizations supporting the development.