Approximately 10,000 tons being made in Springfield, Missouri.
The National Football League’s Raiders are leaving Oakland for Las Vegas and are finally getting what they’ve desired for decades – a new stadium.
It will be made with American-made steel, just like US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, the site of last Sunday’s thrilling Super Bowl.
Merrill Steel plant in Springfield, Missouri will provide approximately 10,000 tons of steel for the new venue. That is roughly a third of the total amount of steel being used for the home of the Las Vegas Raiders. In contrast, 14,400 tons of American steel were used when building US Bank Stadium.
The order for the steel is the largest Merrill Steel has ever received. Plant manager Greg Rajeck said the deal will consume his entire production floor by November.
“It’s outstanding,” Rajeck told Springfield’s NBC affiliate KY3. “It’s great for the community, great for Merrill. It means an increase in jobs. We have a great team here and we’re always looking for more.”
Merrill’s contract sets a delivery date of the steel by July 2019. The plan is for the Raiders to move into their new home by the 2020 NFL season.
Merrill Steel is no rookie company in providing American steel for sports venues. They supplied steel for the new Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the site of next year’s Super Bowl. They’ve also manufactured steel for Notre Dame University’s recent stadium expansion and JGH Arena in Springfield.
Las Vegas Stadium will also be the new home of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) football team.
The $1.9 billion domed stadium will have a seating capacity of 65,000, which can be expanded to 72,000 seats for a Super Bowl game. This is nearly the same seating capacity of US Bank Stadium, which expanded to 72,000 for the Philadelphia Eagles' win over the New England Patriots.
The stadium features a retractable grass field and will offer views of the Las Vegas Strip.
“The schedule is fairly aggressive,” said Rajeck. “That is the largest challenge right now.”
It’s a challenge, but American steel companies have shown their superiority in delivering top quality steel in a timely manner. Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., site of Super Bowl 50 in 2016, was built with American steel. In what seemed like a manufacturing miracle, Levi’s Stadium was erected in five months after the steel was delivered and came in about $80 million under budget.