Sparrows Point Steel Making is History

"A century of steel making as we know it has come to an end" in Baltimore County, says County Executive Kevin Kamenetz.

The future of more than five miles of land in Sparrows Point no longer lies in in the steel mills. Owners of the former RG Steel plant plan to sell off a $300 million cold mill and eventually raze the buildings on the property, selling the remains for scrap. A second company that owns the land will end up being responsible for helping the county shape the future of the industrial land, according to County Executive Kevin Kamenetz. "A century of steel-making as we know it has come to an end," said Kamenetz during a Thursday news conference. Kamenetz said Hilco Trading which owns some of the buildings and equipment, "plans to liquidate every asset and bring the structures down to the ground." The announcement brings an end to the plant that …

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The Bitter End

Sparrows Point workers grieve as they begin making plans for a life after steel.

I dreamt about Sparrows Point the other night, dreamt that I was driving around Dundalk with my niece and no matter where we turned we ran into big black mill buildings stretching as far as the eye could see. I never worked at Sparrows Point so it’s strange that I dream about it from time to time. Those recurring dreams may be part of the reason why I wrote Roots of Steel: Boom and Bust in an American Mill Town, a workers’ history of Sparrows Point. The book tells the story of my family and my community. For anyone who grew up in southeastern Baltimore county, the Sparrows Point steelworks was both bedrock—the foundation of the community’s prosperity and security—and myth. Now that the works has been sold to Hilco Industries, an industrial…

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Tom Daggett

12:35 am on Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Great analogy, Buzz, as always. Real intelligent.   more ›

Martin O'Malley Seeks Answers for Laid Off RG Steel Workers

According to the Baltimore Sun, about 2,000 people work at the Edgemere plant and the company plans to lay off 720 employees, but expects them to be back on the job by early March.

County Executive Seeks Answers on Sparrows Point Layoffs

Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz sent a letter to John Goodwin, president and CEO of RG Steel, asking for details on the recent layoffs.

  The Edgemere community rejoiced when RG Steel purchased the Sparrows Point steel mill and began recalling laid off workers in March, but that joy turned to fear this week as many workers were told not to report to work. In response, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz sent a letter Thursday to John Goodwin, the president and chief executive officer of RG Steel, LLC, requesting additional information regarding the current plant closure at the Sparrows Point steel mill and offering support. The letter stated: Dear Mr. Goodwin, The recent uncertainty regarding the future of the steel mill at Sparrows Point has been very difficult for the men and women who have a proud tradition of steelmaking in eastern Baltimore County. Thousands of …

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Buzz Beeler

4:32 pm on Thursday, January 5, 2012

This article appeared in today's Sun. Despite the glimmer of hope, the article does not pain a rosy future. http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-sparrows-point-customers-20120104,0,1801846.story   more ›