Birmingham Steel Plans Mill in Phoenix

Birmingham Steel Corp. will build a $100-million steel minimill west of Phoenix as a replacement for the company’s aging plant at Emeryville, Calif.

The mill, which will produce 500,000 tons of products annually, will generate 250 jobs and an annual payroll of $10 million.

James A. Todd, the Alabama company’s president and chief executive officer, said one reason for the move from Emeryville was better access to markets in the Southwest, including Southern California.