GARY - U.S. Steel is restarting a blast furnace at its plant in Gary earlier than expected after it shut down in April for a maintenance project then stayed idled due to COVID.
The "Times" reports at the time, U.S. Steel warned the state it would temporarily furlough up to 3,800 steelworkers at Gary Works and at the Midwest Plant in Portage.
U.S. Steel executives warned investors it likely would keep the No. 4 blast furnace at Gary Works and blast furnace A at Granite City Works in Illinois idled through at least the end of 2020.
But the steel market has been rebounding after automakers resumed production and Cleveland-Cliffs moved to consolidate production to just two big integrated players in the United States.
