ASHLAND, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Braidy Industries, Inc. (“Braidy Industries”) is pleased to announce the selection of Kiewit (“Kiewit”) as the company’s Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (“EPC”) contractor for Braidy Atlas, its greenfield aluminum mill in Ashland, Kentucky. SMS Group (“SMS”) and EBNER Industrieofenbau GmbH Construction (“EBNER”) were also selected as equipment and furnace providers, respectively.
This partnership represents a major step forward in the construction of Braidy Industries’ low-cost, innovative rolling mill, Braidy Atlas. With a dedicated management team alongside efficient onsite staff, the mill is on-schedule for first production in 2020. Once complete, Braidy Atlas will be the lowest cost aluminum mill in the world.
“We are excited to have been chosen by Braidy Industries and look forward to designing and building this important project,” said Tom Shelby, executive vice president of Kiewit Corporation. “We believe our strong safety and performance track record, as well as our extensive experience as an EPC contractor will help ensure the overall success of this landmark aluminum mill.”
Braidy Industries and Kiewit reached an agreement to negotiate a full turnkey EPC contract reflecting Kiewit’s capabilities as one of the largest construction and engineering organizations in North America. The company offers services in a variety of markets, including transportation; oil, gas and chemical; power and water/wastewater.
Michael Schäfer, senior vice president of SMS, a world-recognized leader in rolling mill equipment with over 100 years of experience, said, “The SMS group is excited to help Braidy Industries set the standard for quality and efficiency in lightweight auto sheet production with this new world class facility located in the State of Kentucky.”
Braidy Atlas will be the first Greenfield aluminum mill in North America in over 35 years, the most technologically-advanced rolling mill in the world, and the first ever to be fully-optimized from the ground up for automotive manufacturing. The site is 104 inches through the entire production line, making it the widest in North America from start to finish.
“As Braidy Industries progresses toward being a key player within the aluminum sector, EBNER will serve as a strategic partner throughout the ongoing development of the Braidy Atlas mill,” Chief Executive Officer Robert Ebner said on the partnership. “We are excited to play an integral role in this groundbreaking project.” EBNER is a leading global specialist in heat treatment within the metals industry, with a subsidiary based in Wadsworth, Ohio.
“I’d like to thank our partners, Kiewit, SMS and EBNER for contributing their technology and expertise to our mission of rebuilding Appalachia,” said Craig Bouchard, chief executive officer of Braidy Industries. “We could not have imagined a better team.”
About Braidy Industries
Braidy Industries is a future-leaning advanced manufacturer of metals for the global transportation and defense industries. The company’s first project, the Phase I construction of a greenfield aluminum rolling mill at EastPark Industrial Center in Ashland, Kentucky, will position the company as the low-cost provider of 300,000 annual tons of production-ready series 5000, 6000 and 7000 aluminum sheet and plate for the automotive and aerospace industries.
About Kiewit
Kiewit is one of North America’s largest and most respected construction and engineering organizations. With its roots dating back to 1884, the employee-owned organization operates through a network of subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Kiewit offers construction and engineering services in a variety of markets, including transportation; oil, gas and chemical; power; building; water/wastewater; industrial; and mining. Kiewit had 2017 revenues of $8.7 billion and employs 22,000 staff and craft employees.
About SMS Group
SMS group is a group of companies internationally active in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the steel and nonferrous metals industry. It has some 13,500 employees who generate worldwide sales of more than EUR 3 billion. The sole owner of the holding company SMS GmbH is the Familie Weiss Foundation.
About EBNER
EBNER is a global, family-owned company with more than 1,100 employees worldwide and market leader for heat treatment facilities for the metals industry. The company spends 6-8% of annual turnover for research, development and innovation. EBNER’s pioneering concepts in modern furnace technology create new perspectives in offering environmentally friendly and energy efficient solutions.