Governor Stein Announces U.S.-Based Steel Products Manufacturer Will Build Major Specialty Components Plant in Hertford County, Create 625 New Jobs

Today Governor Josh Stein announced US Forged Rings, Inc., a manufacturer of specialty steel products, will establish a major production facility in Hertford County. The company says the project will involve three phases and carry a planned total investment of $875 million. According to the company, the project’s first two phases are estimated to create 625 new full-time jobs.

“US Forged Rings’ investment in Hertford County is a ringing endorsement of our state’s top-notch workforce," said Governor Josh Stein. "We are committed to delivering the talent companies need and bringing good-paying jobs to every corner of our state, including northeastern North Carolina with this project.”

Incorporated in March 2022, US Forged Rings (USFR) is an integrated, one-stop-shop manufacturer of specialty steel products and large-diameter steel fabrications. USFR is a privately owned business and member of the Sozzi family’s group of companies, an industrial group with more than 40 years of experience in steel forging. Products include critical service fabrications, specialty tubulars and forgings used in power generation such as reactors, heat exchanger, and high temperature steam handling; and industrial components such as rings, shafts, and cylinders used in a variety of industries.  

The company has a strategic supply chain partnership with Nucor, and its new site will be adjacent to Nucor Steel’s Hertford County steel processing facility.

“This investment into the first two phases of our Hertford County, North Carolina facility will bring good paying jobs back to America, substitute imports, lower dependency on foreign suppliers, increase the resilience of the US economy, and help lower uncertainty in the costs and timing of building power plants and other critical infrastructure that the country very much needs,” said USFR’s CEO & President, Giacomo Sozzi.

“Eastern North Carolina means business, and this announcement is great news for families throughout the region,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “US Forged Rings appreciates our state’s commitment to match specialized training with the hardest working people in America to provide the skilled workers the company needs to succeed in today’s competitive business environment.”

“It’s a great day for Hertford County North Carolina," said N.C. Senator Bobby Hanig. “North Carolina’s competitive advantages are many, from our friendly business climate to our world-class transportation networks offering convenient access to markets up and down the Eastern Seaboard. US Forged Rings’ decision today is a vote of confidence in northeast North Carolina and the hard-working people who call our region home.”

“I’d like to thank the many people and organizations that worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make today’s announcement possible,” said N.C. Representative Bill Ward. “We are honored that US Forged Rings selected Hertford County and North Carolina as the site for this major project, and we will continue to work hard to support the company as it establishes operations in our region.”

Partnering with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, the North Carolina Departments of Transportation and Environmental Quality, the North Carolina Railroad, CSX Transportation, Dominion Energy, Hertford County and its Board of Commissioners, and the Hertford County Economic Development Department.