Decisions coming soon on steel mill, smelter in New Madrid

An announcement was expected at the end of December on the possibility of a new steel mill at the St. Jude Industrial Park near Marston on the site of the former Noranda aluminum smelter. However, an announcement is now expected sometime around mid-February.

It’s been two years since Noranda closed and about 900 people lost their jobs. The Noranda property was purchased in 2017 by Magnitude Seven. The company owner stopped in New Madrid at city hall recently to indicate that they are still trying to reopen the facility.

The city has continued to market the property to other business and industrial prospects and submit as many as four or five proposals a month for the industrial site or refer other prospects to the St. Jude Industrial Park. In addition to the land for the industrial park, the completion of a new electrical substation and water plant is expected in 2018.