Big River adds new scrap buyer

Arkansas steelmaker Big River Steel added Martin Baker to its scrap and metallics procurement team as part of a reorganization of leadership in the raw materials division.

Baker, formerly of Alabama-based scrap broker Jefferson Iron and Metal, and others at Big River will manage raw materials purchasing, taking over the role from Sabyasachi Bandyopadhyay. Bandyopadhyay will now manage the mill's systems and technology department and help lead artificial intelligence initiatives.

"Big River Steel continues to work with scrap generators and other scrap consumers to challenge the ways scrap is bought and sold," a company spokesperson told Argus.

Big River began full operations in December 2016 at the greenfield mini-mill in Osceola, Arkansas. The mill consumes as much as 2mn st/yr of metallics, including over 100,000st/month of scrap and over 50,000st of pig iron, HBI and DRI.

The mill said in June it will double hot-rolled steel production capacity as a part of a $1.2bn expansion.