SAINT-ROMUALD, Que. (CP) -- Quebec-based structural steel manufacturer Supermetal says it has acquired a factory in Rock Hill, S.C., for an undisclosed price.
The company said Wednesday it expects to hire about 200 additional workers over "the next few years."
The plant is privately owned Supermetal's first in the United States and brings its total number of factories to four, with other locations in Saint-Romuald and Sherbrooke, Que., and Leduc, Alta..
"The addition of a fabrication plant in the United States is a major coup for Supermetal," said Jean-Francois Blouin, president and general manager of Supermetal.
"From now on we can include American content in our bids for government contracts. We will also be better equipped to serve the southern part of the continent and to protect ourselves from variations in the exchange rate."
Blouin added that the southern and central U.S. markets have "excellent growth potential."
The factory was purchased from Worthington Industries Inc., an American steelmaker that produces parts for the automotive, construction and aerospace industries.
Supermetal currently employs more than 450 people and specializes in manufacturing and installing structural steel for commercial or industrial buildings.
