Arrium’s Newcastle-based employees will be celebrating their industry this week, with the 100th anniversary of steelmaking in Newcastle.
Employees will be marking their role in Newcastle steel manufacturing and celebrate their continuing involvement in the industry, almost 16 years after the closure of the BHP Steelworks.
Spun out from BHP, Arrium, previously named OneSteel, comprises of 1,500 men and women employed across Arrium’s OneSteel, Moly-Cop and Austube Mills brands in the Newcastle region.
Arrium has grown from its origins, initially as a domestic steel long products manufacturer and distributor, it has transformed itself over the years, now an international diversified mining and materials company. Arrium, through its Mining Consumables business, is the largest supplier of grinding media in the world, with one of its leading manufacturing facilities located in Newcastle.
On the Tuesday, 2 June 2015 the Newcastle Industrial Heritage Association will be commemorating this event with the unveiling of a memorial at the Steelworks and a time capsule will also be sealed as part of the event. Arrium has donated materials and their employees have generously donated their time to assist with the event.
Steve Hamer, Chief Executive Arrium Steel, will be giving a speech at the unveiling of the memorial.
“I am proud to be a part of this milestone, I think it is important to reflect on the history of the steel industry in Newcastle, but it is even more important to focus on its future,” Steve said.
“Arrium continues the steel manufacturing tradition in Newcastle, with world class businesses and people. Arrium remains a significant employer within the region, with over 1,500 employees. Arrium continues to employ generations of Novocastrians, approximately 350 of these employees have over 30 years of service with the company.”
On the Saturday, 6 June 2015 the celebrations will continue: a family fun day will be hosted at the Newcastle Museum to mark the anniversary. Arrium employees will be in attendance and will also be holding events during the week to celebrate the milestone.
While the closure of iron and steel making at the Newcastle Steelworks and the ongoing reshaping of local steel manufacturing has delivered a very different looking steel industry from that of decades past, Arrium’s businesses and its people continue to contribute significantly to the steel industry, ensuring it remains very much a part of Newcastle’s future.
Image | Steel billet processing
