On Thursday, Winchester and Western Railroad (W&W) announced it had signed an agreement to serve Commercial Metal Company’s (CMC) new West Virginia steel mill.
The largest rebar manufacturer in North America and Central Europe, CMC will build their new steel mill in Falling Water, W.V., following an extensive multi-state search. The site’s location along W&W’s rail line will provide the company with access to two-thirds of the American population, the companies said.
“The new CMC mill exemplifies the power of pairing rail and real estate together,” said OmniTRAX CEO Dean Piacente. “By combining the efficiency of rail transportation with a strategic location that can efficiently reach two-thirds of the nation’s population, this new mill is a model of supply chain optimization.”
The CMC mill project is a collaborative economic development effort by OmniTRAX, W&W’s parent company, the state of West Virginia’s leaders, and Berkley County, W.V. officials. W&W said it supplemented a state and county incentive package with a custom rail service agreement and additional infrastructure investments to secure the site selection at Falling Water.
“This new partnership reflects a cross-functional team effort to provide CMC with a highly customized commercial service solution. I’m proud of the collaborative work invested to make this day possible,” Piacente said.
CMC officials said the new steel mill would create more than 200 jobs while reducing interstate traffic congestion. The facility is expected to open in late 2025, CMC projected.