Steel expansion planned for central Ohio site

A steel company is planning an expansion, with 200 new jobs, an hour east of Dayton.

DIS-TRAN Steel, a maker of pre-engineered steel poles, said Thursday it will expand operations to Fayette County and open a new steel plant.

The Louisiana-based company will move into an existing facility in Washington Court House and produce tapered tubular steel poles for the electric utility industry.

The expansion provides the space the company needs to serve its customers in the Ohio Valley, Northeast and Upper Midwest, the company said in a release.

Over the next five years, the business plans to hire 200 people.

“We’ve monitored the market for a long time. There is a strong demand for steel to maintain and expand the electrical grid and Ohio is strategically the best location for DIS-TRAN Steel to grow not just our products and services, but also our team,” said Donnie Roberts, president of DIS-TRAN.

The facility, at 1629 Old US 35 South East, offers 58,000 square feet of space on a 25-acre lot.

Jarrod Gemar, vice president of business operations for DIS-TRAN Steel, said the company will reach full production capability early in 2021.

“This expansion is intended to build the foundation for the future of our company, and we see this growth as vital to supporting our customers in the development of America’s utility infrastructure," Gemar said. “We chose Washington Courthouse because we thought that this community best shared our values and culture, as well as, provided the skilled workforce necessary to support our growth plans."

“Their Washington Court House operations will allow them to leverage the Dayton region’s talented, skilled workforce to provide critical energy infrastructure,” said Julie Sullivan, executive vice president for the Dayton Development Coalition.

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