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Governor Greg Abbott has announced a significant expansion project for Vinton Steel, LLC in El Paso County. The initiative is part of the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation (JETI) program. The steel manufacturing company, a subsidiary of Kyoei Steel LTD based in Osaka, Japan, will invest over $229 million to expand its facility in Vinton, Texas. This expansion is expected to create more than 180 new jobs.
"Vinton Steel is a critical part of the Texas steel manufacturing sector," stated Governor Abbott during the press conference held at Vinton Steel. He emphasized the importance of such capital-intensive projects and their potential to support local employees through high-demand jobs like steelmaking.
The Vinton facility utilizes electric arc furnace technology and processes ferrous scrap into new steel products. It currently recycles over 250,000 tons annually with its two EAFs and rolling mill setup. As part of this expansion effort, Vinton received a Texas Enterprise Fund grant totaling $1,504,000 along with a veteran-created job bonus amounting to $12,000.
Governor Abbott was accompanied by several key figures at the announcement including Vinton Steel Chairman Masahiro Kitada and El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego among others.
Senator César J. Blanco expressed gratitude towards various stakeholders for their leadership in facilitating this investment: "This investment is more than just an expansion—it’s a commitment to the hardworking people of El Paso and West Texas." Representative Joe Moody echoed similar sentiments regarding job creation opportunities particularly benefiting veterans within District 78.
Vinton Steel Chairman Kitada shared enthusiasm about leading advancements towards sustainability: "With our parent company’s support...we are also leading charge towards sustainability with state-of-the-art green steel-making process."
Mayor Rachel Quintana acknowledged how transformative this upgrade would be locally: “It brings new jobs and strengthens our commitment to sustainable future.”
County Judge Samaniego highlighted economic benefits anticipated from construction phase between 2025-2027 projecting increased tax revenues for both county ($451k) & state ($2m). Jon Barela extended appreciation toward Senator Blanco & Representative Moody alongside acknowledging Governor's instrumental role driving forward regional economic development initiatives while praising innovative 'Green City Mill Flex' process set double production capacity fostering long-term growth prospects regionally.