As Seen in Talk Business & Politics
July 27, 2025
By George Jared
More than a decade ago, a group of businessmen in the steel industry decided to embark on an ambitious plan. They decided to build a steel mill in southern Mississippi County on the Mississippi River near Osceola.
Big River Steel (BRS) opened in 2017, and a few years later was sold to U.S. Steel, BRS founder and former CEO David Stickler told Talk Business & Politics. A second mill, BRS II, was opened near the first one last year and now Stickler has opened Hybar, a steel mill that produces rebar in the shadows of the first two steel mills he helped to bring to the county.
“These are some of the finest steel mills in the world,” he said. “Some of the highest quality steels are being made right here in Mississippi County.”
When Hybar is fully operational, it will employ more than 154 workers. It will produce 700,000 tons of rebar annually. Stickler said they had to raise about $1 billion to build Hybar and construction began in August of 2023. They didn’t hire a general contractor to construct the facility, Stickler said. The company entered into a “hybrid” construction partnership with Lexicon, a company that specializes in building steel mills.
The arrangement allowed Hybar to keep its construction costs down and allowed the company to remain in control of the mill’s construction flow, but they got the expertise of one of the leading mill construction companies in the country, he said.
Lexicon CEO Patrick Schueck said the project partnership was beneficial for both companies.
”Lexicon was honored to serve as the construction manager for Hybar’s new rebar mill,” Schueck said. “With this project marking the fifth steel mill our team has built in the region, we brought decades of industrial construction expertise to the project. From breaking ground to rolling out the first ribbed rebar, the facility was completed in approximately 22 months — an incredibly aggressive timeline for a mill of this scale and complexity. What makes this project especially significant is that it showcases how Lexicon can lead large-scale industrial builds that push the boundaries of innovation, efficiency and sustainability. Our longstanding partnership with leaders in the steel sector, including Hybar, enabled us to align construction methods with forward-looking clean energy goals and LEED certification standards.”
One of the key features of the Hybar facility is the solar array, Stickler said. The array can power the plant that takes scrap metal and melts it. The melted steel is then cast into billets and afterwards it is hot rolled and then bent into shape. The array is among the practices and technological features that make the mill one of the most energy efficient in the industry, he said.
“From a broader perspective, this facility sets a new benchmark for sustainability in the U.S. steel industry. It’s the first in North America to produce rebar using 100% solar energy — thanks to a behind-the-meter solar installation — and it reduces emissions by up to 50% compared to traditional mills,” Schueck said.
Even before Hybar began operations, Mississippi County was by volume the largest steel-producing county nationwide. In 2024, 72.3 million tons of steel was produced in the country, and about 9.5 million tons of that was produced in the county, or about 13% of the country’s steel output.
The steel mills employ about 5,000 people directly and indirectly employ almost 8,000.
Rebar is used to build many things including bridges, tunnels, high rise buildings, ports, airports, public works projects and others.
“The demand for rebar is never ending,” Stickler said.
Schueck agreed with Stickler. During the next year he expects a lot of major construction projects to unfold and the demand for steel, and specifically rebar, will be high.
“From my perspective, the outlook is quite optimistic,” Schueck said. “We’re seeing a renewed focus on domestic production, which I believe will lead to an uptick in large-scale construction projects. We’ve already had indications from major steel producers that they’re committed to expanding their capacity here in the U.S., and that’s a positive sign. The demand for infrastructure improvements and new facilities — like data centers and manufacturing plants — is strong, and I expect that to drive growth in our sector. We’re also tracking several significant projects, including chip plants, that are coming into play, and I think we’ll see more announcements in the near future.”
Two companies, Nucor and Commercial Metals Company (CMC) control about 75% of the rebar market, Stickler said. Both are in the rebar fabrication business, and that hurt independent fabrication firms, he said. For instance, if an independent fabrication firm wants to bid on a bridge project, they will go to one rebar producer to get a price. At times, some of the rebar producers will raise the price or try to outright take the project from smaller fabrication companies.
Stickler said Hybar will not get into the fabrication business and will not “squeeze” those businesses. It will, however, expand its rebar production footprint, he said.
Plans are underway to construct another rebar producing mill adjacent to the current facility, he said. Construction is slated to begin in late summer or early fall. This facility should cost about $100 million less because the site drainage work, retention pond, and heavy haul road have already been built. But inflation has been on the rise and that will impact project costs, he said.
Hybar may also build one or two other rebar mills. Sites in Georgia and South Carolina have been examined, he said.
Stickler said he’s not surprised the Mississippi County has become, by volume, the largest steel producing county in the country. Public officials have been easy to work with, the state has a regulatory atmosphere that is conducive to business, and the workforce is outstanding.
He envisions Hybar having the most efficient workforce in the industry and that will lead to more money in workers’ pockets — through higher production.
“My goal is to have the highest paid steelworkers, with the lowest labor costs — we will achieve that through higher production and efficiency,” he said.
