Excitement has been building for the Pacific Steel Group in Mojave, which is expected to create approximately 400 jobs by mid-2027.
Pacific Steel is the first steel mill built in California in 50 years.
Many in the steel industry said a steel mill in California could not be done, Mark Olson says, but he’s out to prove them wrong.
The Pacific Steel Group’s Mojave facility is still under construction. I’m Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter, and I’m here to give you an inside look at the company and the growing anticipation for a target date of 2027.
Mark Olson, the Pacific Steel Group’s vice president of mill operations in Mojave, claims to have spent his entire life in the steel business. He tells me he’s been looking forward to this latest project, which had its groundbreaking in March.
“Bringing steel production back to California is both an exciting project and a significant challenge. I believe there were many people in our industry, the steel industry, who said it couldn’t be done in California, and I really wanted to prove them wrong, which we did. California has embraced this project,” Olson stated.
Olson has a lot on his plate. One of the many challenges is dealing with the current steel tariffs. There is no domestic production of steel manufacturing equipment.
“We’re navigating the impacts country by country. It won’t derail this project. We are moving forward. Long-term, steel tariffs were imposed during Trump’s first administration. Biden doubled down on the tariffs. Trump is also continuing with them. So we see a landscape in which domestic steel manufacturing is doing well,” Olson said.
Excitement for the new steel mill has been growing. Olson claims it is the first steel mill built in California in 50 years. He adds that Pacific Steel is expected to create approximately 400 jobs, with 180 of them supporting the steel manufacturing facility.
“The atmosphere has been very positive. Eastern Kern and Kern County in general have been very supportive of this project. “I see a lot of excitement in the community,” Olson stated.
Mark Olson expresses his appreciation for how the county and state have embraced the idea of a steel company in East Kern. I’m Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter.
