Press Release
Norfolk already is the envy of many Midwestern communities for being the home of three divisions of Nucor Corp.
Make that four.
Nucor officials announced Thursday morning that Norfolk would be the home of the new Nucor Detailing Center that eventually could employ 200-400 people. The center's employees will design products made at Nucor plants in Norfolk and throughout the United States.
They'll join the approximately 900 other Norfolkans and Northeast Nebraskans who already work at the three existing Nucor divisions in Norfolk -- Nucor Steel, Vulcraft and Cold Finish.
Dirk Petersen, general manager of Vulcraft, said Texas and Utah were also considered as sites for the detailing center.
"The biggest thing that came through for this area is the success of our (existing) detailing department. We've got the most successful detailing department, and a lot of that has to do with...very good people," Petersen said. "I know that Nebraska's work ethic is the best...and I'm very, very prejudiced toward Nebraska, so I pushed it really hard."
The center will start small but could grow to 400 employees over the next five to 10 years, he said. Regardless of the specific number, the expansion will have a huge impact on the local and area economy, Petersen said.
"When you think about 200 jobs, you're not just thinking about the jobs but also the families that come with them. You're talking 600 to 800 people who might be drawn into the local area," Petersen said.
"The bottom line is that we're going to be bringing in all kinds of people who are going to want to buy houses. They are going to be paid well. They're going to be good people to add to this community," he added.
Vulcraft already has hired eight detailers to start work on the center and plans to bring in more this summer. As the center starts to grow, it first will be housed in a leased facility.
"But a very good possibility exists that we'll build a building someday because we want to make a facility that's state-of-the-art that really attracts young people who want to work for us," Petersen said.
"Not only will it be a permanent facility for us but an automatic billboard for us. When people drive through town, they will see this building," said Peterson, who indicated that the center ideally would be located along a major highway or highway intersection.
Plans for the center also will have a positive impact in other ways.
Northeast Community College, for example, will be overhauling its detailing department to provide quality employees for the expansion.
Dr. Bill Path, college president, said, "This means a doubling of the number of students who we will be running through our drafting program beginning in the fall."
Path said Northeast would be renovating its drafting department by adding another lab and new equipment. The entire curriculum will be overhauled, too, he said.
- Story Courtesy of the Norfolk Daily News
