GARY, Ind. — U.S. Steel has restarted Blast Furnace No. 14 at Gary Works after a $350 million reline and upgrade project, returning the mill’s largest furnace to service with annual capacity of more than 2 million tons of hot metal, according to a Sept. 3 company account reported by Steel Market Update.

The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker said the furnace was not only relined but also received extensive maintenance on furnace gas, cooling water, hoisting, and stove systems. Work began in May after the board approved the investment in December 2025. At peak, the project employed about 1,000 people, and the company reported no lost days to injury.

“This investment positions Gary Works to continue serving customers, supporting American manufacturing, and creating value for years to come,” U.S. Steel President and CEO David Burritt said in the statement carried by Steel Market Update.

Key facts

No. 14 is the largest of four blast furnaces at the Lake Michigan mill, U.S. Steel said in a Dec. 22, 2025 release announcing full funding for the reline. The furnace produces iron for high-strength steel used in cars, buildings, and other products, using iron ore pellets from the company’s Minnesota facilities.

That same release framed the reline as part of a broader Indiana package. Upgrades at the hot strip mill and steel shop were expected to cost roughly $200 million, with air-permit and stormwater plans submitted to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management in December. Nippon Steel, U.S. Steel’s parent, has committed to invest $11 billion in U.S. Steel by the end of 2028, the company and Steel Market Update reported.

Local coverage earlier this summer tracked the same capital push on the ground. The Times of Northwest Indiana reported in mid-July that construction crews were rebuilding the blast furnace from the inside out and that U.S. Steel had brought in a crane about 30 stories tall capable of lifting more than 3,200 metric tons. The Times also reported Nippon Steel’s pledge of more than $3.1 billion into the flagship Gary Works campus and a separate company pledge to invest $14 billion across U.S. Steel mills by the end of 2028 — a statewide mill total that differs from the $11 billion company-wide figure in the December release and should be read as separately attributed reporting.

Hiring is running alongside the rebuild. The Times reported July 15 that U.S. Steel planned a July 31 hiring event at Gary Works for industrial electricians and industrial maintenance mechanics as it sought about 150 more operations and maintenance workers. Spokesperson Andre Fulton told the paper the company was making major investments at Gary Works, including a new degasser for high-quality, ultra-low carbon steel, new hot strip mill furnaces aimed at efficiency and lower emissions, and a new boiler to use blast furnace gas for steam. “These upgrades will keep the plant competitive for many years to come,” Fulton said.

In February, General Manager Daniel Killeen told a business audience at Mayor Eddie Melton’s Fireside Chat that the steelmaker planned to invest $900 million at Gary Works that year and hire about 1,000 more workers for modernization and expansion, The Times reported. Killeen put regional employment at about 4,300 to 4,500 and said additional facilities would need people to run and maintain them once established.