BENTELER Steel/Tube Manufacturing Corporation announced it is expanding its presence at the Port of Caddo-Bossier with the construction of a new threading facility for hot rolled seamless steel tubes.
The $21 million investment will allow the company to streamline supply chains for customers in the oil and gas, energy and engineering sectors.
BENTELER announces $21 million expansion in northwest Louisiana, to create 49 direct new jobs
(Photo courtesy of LED)
The company expects to create 49 direct new jobs while retaining 347 current positions at its Louisiana operations. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in 96 indirect new jobs, for a total of 145 potential new jobs in the Northwest Region.
“Economic development projects like this don’t only benefit the state’s economy through investment and job creation, but also by providing support to key industries in our state,” LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said. “I thank BENTELER for seeing and utilizing Louisiana’s unique business advantages, like our port system and skilled manufacturing workforce, and reaffirming its commitment to our state and our people.”
The company plans to partner with leading connection specialists GB Connections and Hunting to provide customers in the oil and gas industry with domestically designed, melted, made and finished seamless products.
“I’m excited that we are extending our vertical integration for Oil Country Tubular Good products in Shreveport with this threading facility,” Kai Christian Zimmermann, Executive Vice President North America BENTELER Steel/Tube said. “This will enable us to be even closer to our end-customers and our distributors. It is a reflection of our ongoing commitment to the industry and the region. Together with our partners, we will provide finished casing from the mill directly to the drilling locations. We will be able to reach both the Mid-Continent region and Rockies more competitively.”
BENTELER opened its first U.S. steel tube plant in Shreveport in 2015 and it continues to be one of the most modern of its kind in North America. It currently manufactures a wide range of products with a focus on Oil Country Tubular Goods. Main products produced at the Shreveport site are drill pipe, tubing, line pipe, structural pipe, couplingstock and casing.
Construction, scheduled to begin by the end of April, will be executed in two phases. The first phase will include installing the initial threading line focused on threaded and coupled connections, extending the finished goods yard, enhancing rail loading capabilities and improving infrastructure. The second will expand the facility to allow for installation of a second thread line. The second line is estimated to be online by the end of 2026.
“The City of Shreveport is excited about BENTELER’s announcement of its expansion,” Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said. “This will add to the effectiveness of BENTELER’s operations and add needed and well-paying jobs to the local economy.”
Seamless tubes are able to better withstand high-pressure, high-corrosive environments, like those found in the oil and gas industry, because they do not possess a welding seam that can become a weak spot in these conditions. These materials are also regularly used in the transportation of fluids such as water, natural gas, waste and air.
“This expansion by BENTELER Steel/Tube demonstrates the company’s commitment to its operation at The Port of Caddo-Bossier,” Caddo-Bossier Parishes Port Commission President Bill Altimus said. “Tenant relations and job creation are a top priority for The Port and the addition of 49 new jobs will be felt across the two parishes we serve. The Caddo-Bossier Port Commission and our support team look forward to working with BENTELER Steel/Tube on this and all future endeavors.”
To win the project in Shreveport, Louisiana offered BENTELER a competitive incentives package including the comprehensive workforce development solutions of LED FastStart. The company is also expected to participate in the state’s Quality Jobs program.
“BENTELER’s continued growth and expansion at the Port of Caddo-Bossier is a sign of a healthy business ecosystem in northwest Louisiana,” North Louisiana Economic Partnership President and CEO Justyn Dixon said. “We’re extremely excited about this announcement and what the future holds for BENTELER and The Port of Caddo-Bossier.”
