Iron Ore Company Chooses Indiana Over Wisconsin

An iron ore pellet-making company has decided against locating in Douglas County, and chose Indiana instead.There were 120 jobs at stake.

After searching for more than a year in six cities, Magnetation of Grand Rapids, Minnesota chose Reynolds, Indiana to build its new $350 million facility.The competition was narrowed down to a 150 acre industrial park in Superior and Reynolds. Reynolds has a limestone plant needed for making iron ore pellets.

Douglas County Administrator Andy Lisak is disappointed, but he says they made a compelling case for northern Wisconsin.

“It was a tough decision,” he says.”We made it a very tough decision for them. But in the end of the best-value proposition for Magnetation’s pellet plant was the Reynolds site in Indiana.”

Lisak says the problem wasn’t environmental regulations or permitting timelines.He says the DNR and other state agencies gave Magnetation a solid plan, a plan he hopes can still be used for other industrial development in Douglas County.