Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
The company will combine its Sharonville and Fairfield operations in Middletown ― all under one roof. The building will be renovated to accommodate the manufacturing and operational needs of the company.
EI Ceramics President Ian Proudfoot thanked the city’s economic development staff who “took us around to all the available property … were extremely knowledgeable, professional and always ready to assist and help.”
The building opened in 1937. It was a critical piece in the operation and sustainability of the steel industry in Middletown that took off with the founding of the American Rolling Mill Company (Armco) in 1899 and building the steel mill now operated by Cleveland-Cliffs, according to city officials.
The vacant building and property was purchased by the city in 2021. The facility has been vacant since 2018 and has been the target of vandalism and copper theft. Ongoing renovation includes asbestos abatement, removal of universal waste, and interior demolition, preparing the site to be transformed into the EI Ceramics manufacturing site, producing flow control products for the steel industry.
“Going forward in the city of Middletown, we will focus on company growth, a constantly evolving product range, and improved operating efficiencies. Taking this wonderful old building and giving it a new lease on life,” Proudfoot said.
EI Ceramics officials approached the city in 2023 concerning the purchase of the 9.5-acre property to consolidate into one location bringing about 70 jobs to the city, according to officials. The purchase price is $225,000, which is what the city paid for it in June 2021.
Jim McIntosh, managing director of IFGL Refractories, which is EI Ceramics parent company, said the company will continue to grow its production.
“Steel is a strategic and vital and important industry for the United States. Middletown has a proud history in the steel industry … this legacy continues today with Cleveland Cliffs,” he said.
The company is investing $18 million to remediate and remodel the property to suit its operational needs, the city said. The company’s consolidated workforce estimated annual payroll, once fully operational, is more than $4 million, according to a staff report.
Last summer, council approved a job incentive creation grant between the city and EI Ceramics to start one year after the job creation period and last for four years. The amount returned to the company annually would be equal to 50 percent of the collected income taxes, according to Assistant City Manager Nathan Cahall.
The site also received $3.1 million from the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program to prepare the site for redevelopment, according to the governor’s office.
The Curtis Street facility built by Armco Inc. more than doubled in size when it was remodeled in 1961.
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