New Vandergrift ATI line secures jobs, future for company

The son of a steelworker, Vandergrift Mayor Lenny Collini grew up in a house overlooking ATI’s Vandergrift plant.

Back then, it was owned by U.S. Steel and was a major employer for the borough and surrounding area.

Now, it continues to be a big piece of the borough’s economy and could remain so for some time thanks to a $65 million expansion unveiled Thursday.

With a new, 10-story building at the plant along the Kiski River, ATI officials say their Bright Anneal Line is more efficient and helps to secure the company’s standing as a leading specialty metals maker.

“There are more jobs now than ever, and it makes our economy better,” Collini said. “This town was built around the mill, so thank you for keeping us here.”

ATI bought the plant from U.S. Steel in 1988.

Employment at the plant is now up to 250 — a 20% increase since work on the new line began in 2020. Additional jobs at the plant are not immediately expected because of the new line’s level of automation.

ATI spokeswoman Natalie Gillespie said most of the workforce at Vandergrift earns more than $75,000 a year, in addition to health, welfare and retirement benefits.

That kind of success already has impacted the small community’s business corridor.

Chris Kakias said his G&G Restaurant along Columbia Avenue reaps the benefits of heavier traffic.

“It’s a terrific thing for the community with more people coming through,” Kakias said. “It makes people optimistic that there’s a major presence in Vandergrift.”

The expansion at the plant off Lincoln Avenue shifts production there from standard stainless steel to specialized alloys for a global market, Vice President of Operations Danielle Carlini said.

“This is a long-term investment that will secure jobs for decades,” Carlini said. “With the types of materials we’re making for aerospace and defense, we are less exposed to cyclical markets. This is a solid foundation for growth.”

The project catapulted ATI as a global competitor, CEO Bob Wetherbee said.

“I’m sure challenges will still come, but we will be successful because of our deliberate investment,” he said.

The Bright Anneal Line stands 200 feet tall with capabilities for quick flow times, razor-thin slitting and temperature controls for metals that are heated to nearly 2,000 degrees.

Annealing is a process in which metal is heated, then slowly cooled to provide greater strength and workability.

A highlight for workers: The new line was designed to operate at a noise level that doesn’t require hearing protection.

Founded in 1849 as a water-powered mill, the Vandergrift facility has grown to become one of the most advanced materials finishing operations of its kind, said Tom DeLuca, president of Specialty Rolled Products.

On its website, ATI touts itself as “a world leader in the production of nickel-based and cobalt-based superalloys, titanium-based alloys and specialty steels for the aerospace industry … metals of exceptional wear resistance, corrosion resistance, heat resistance, toughness and strength.”

“There are only three or four others on the planet that make these alloys,” DeLuca said.

“With this, we’ve built a foundation for many years to come, and we will leverage that to grow our business.”

The new line comes less than 10 years after ATI completed it $1.6 billion hot strip mill in Harrison and Brackenridge in 2015. Construction on that project began in 2011 and created a state-of-the-art mill for specialty alloys. It has five furnaces and produces the steel for ATI’s Flat-Rolled Products Division.

Across the company, ATI has experienced continued success. Fourth-quarter sales in 2023 climbed 5% year over year, reaching $1.06 billion.

The new technology will help secure future jobs for the more than 1,400 ATI employees across Western Pennsylvania, Carlini said.

Materials delivered to Vandergrift are from one of four melt shops across the area, she said.

“All our hot-rolled coils come by train from Brackenridge,” Carlini said.

“This transformation stabilized the entire flow path and will lead to sustainable jobs for decades.”