Green Steel
Forbes India|September 27, 2019
After his partner dropped dead in his hotel room, globe-trotting financier David Stickler found himself at the helm of a steel mill startup in rural Arkansas. Now he runs the best little high-tech, highly leveraged steelmaker in the nation.
Jonathan Ponciano
Green Steel

Inside cavernous blue hangars set on 1,100 acres of what was once soy fields abutting the Mississippi River, a succession of 300-tonne scrap-filled buckets—the remains of old cars and refrigerators—await their turn at the furnace. Wailing sirens pierce the deafening rumble, and sparks fly as blindingly yellow flames rise up from the glowing ladle.

Overlooking the action there’s a control room with a lone operator in front of a dozen LCD monitors displaying graphics representing data from thousands of sensors on nearly every piece of equipment in the 1.76-million-sq-ft flat-rolled steel mill. One display uses an optical emission spectrometer to analyse the composition of the molten steel in real time, determining the amount of alloys like copper in the mix. A red display shows that the furnace—no more than 60 feet away— is at 2,951 degrees Fahrenheit.

Welcome to Osceola, Arkansas (population 6,764), onetime home of legendary blues guitarist Albert King and headquarters to Big River Steel, the future of steel production on the planet. The mini mill, which is producing 4,500 tonnes of hotrolled steel each day or about 1.65 million per year, began operating only 31 months ago thanks to almost $1 billion in high-yield-debt financing, a slug of equity from Koch Industries, Arkansas’s teachers’ pension fund, private equity firm TPG Capital and the sheer operating zeal of a little-known investment banker named David Stickler.

“We view ourselves as a technology company that just happens to make steel,” says Stickler.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 27, 2019-Ausgabe von Forbes India.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 27, 2019-Ausgabe von Forbes India.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS FORBES INDIAAlle anzeigen
Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued
Forbes India

Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued

The pandemic has also brought with it an improved focus on hygiene, use of technology in dining, rise of cloud kitchens and resurgence in popularity of Indian ingredients

time-read
8 Minuten  |
May 21, 2021
Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years
Forbes India

Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years

As of 2020, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s super app for financial services had run up losses in thousands of crores. Now, as digital payments gets yet another boost courtesy Covid-19, he’s hopeful of reaching near breakeven in two years

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
June 4, 2021
THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN
Forbes India

THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN

Covid-19 has shown that women are more likely to face the brunt of job losses than men, and find fewer opportunities when they want to resume. That apart, several have to deal with increased hours of unpaid work at home and even domestic abuse

time-read
8 Minuten  |
May 21, 2021
LEADERSHIP WILL BE ABOUT SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE
Forbes India

LEADERSHIP WILL BE ABOUT SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE

Leaders must not only guard their teams first during a crisis, but also deal with stakeholders with respect and dignity. And apart from pursuing business goals, they should remain committed to our planet and the environment

time-read
7 Minuten  |
May 21, 2021
PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST
Forbes India

PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST

Apart from building a flexible and resilient framework for the future, philanthropists, civil society and the government must work in tandem so that every rupee is absorbed on the ground

time-read
9 Minuten  |
May 21, 2021
INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR
Forbes India

INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR

While clinical research will get a boost, having a skilled workforce and public spending on health care will be challenges in the near term

time-read
8 Minuten  |
May 21, 2021
DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION
Forbes India

DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION

As the pandemic brings technology and innovation to the core of business and daily life, the next decade will see about 150 million digital-first families in India

time-read
8 Minuten  |
May 21, 2021
Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?
Forbes India

Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?

Augmenting sustainability alongside digital capabilities is an economic, competitive and global opportunity for India’s businesses, but regulations need to reflect intent

time-read
10 Minuten  |
June 4, 2021
EV Dream Still Miles Away
Forbes India

EV Dream Still Miles Away

Electric vehicles have remained a buzzword in India for years. But not much has moved on ground due to high upfront costs, range anxiety and charging infrastructure

time-read
6 Minuten  |
June 4, 2021
Living Waters
Forbes India

Living Waters

A virus has caused us to scramble for oxygen but our chokehold on the environment is slowly strangling the very waters that breathe life into us. The virus is a timely reminder: We are merely consumers, not producers of life’s breath on this planet

time-read
4 Minuten  |
June 4, 2021