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Show WORK Page 30 THE HERALD. Provo, Utah, Sunday, February 15, 1981 eneva Example of Sword Beatenlnto Plowshare By ROBERT MCOOUGALL Herald City Editor tons of steel plate and 69 923 tons of structural steel A long controversy followed over the eventual fate of the plant In mid 1946 I S Steel purchased Geneva trom the Federal Government and spent $100 million converting the operation to peace-tim- e uses The conversion process involved both Geneva and a sister plant at Pittsburgh. Calif , near San Francisco where Geneva products are further refined From the 225 ton melt that began it all the plant could brag by its 25th anniversary in 19 that it had produced 40 million tons of steel Knough. the plant s PR men bragged, to build a bridge to the moon that would be six feet wide and a quarter-o- l an inch thick diameter It turns out pig iron, coal tar ammonium sulphate, anhydrous ammonia, ammonium nitrate nitric acid benzene, toluene, xylene, napthalene and nitrogen chemicals At the Geneva Jobs rally in Provo late last year. Sen Jake Garn talked about Geneva's work force "I would say to you that in my opinion, the reason Geneva is here today, the reason we can still try and help save it. is you "You employees, you yourselves have saved Geneva more than anyone else. I don't know of any industry in this 632.317 The Geneva steel plant is as good an example as any of a sword being beaten into a ploughshare The plant was built to supply 700.000 ton s of steel plates and 200 (WO tons of structural steel shapes a year lor war ships Now a good share of the production is used to make pop cans The plant was conceived as a hedge against an attack on the Panama Canal during World War II Most steel for ship builders on the West Coast was shipped through Panama and any interruption of shipping would have been a serious blow to the nation's effort to replace ships lost at Pearl Harbor After the site was chosen by the Defense Plant Corp.. ground breaking took place on March 27. 1942 The project took two years to complete and was immediately operated at no profit by specially formed subsidiary of I'.S Steel called Geneva Steel Company The first fires were stoked up in the coke ovens at the end of 1943 and the first steel was poured from the blast furnaces just after midnight on Feb 4 state where I have seen such cohesiveness between labor and management ." At the same rallv Jim Collins, exof the American ecutive Iron and Steel Institute, said Geneva is "right at the top in productivity " Of the future of steel, generally, and Geneva in particular. U.S. Steel chairman David M Roderick said. "There is no question that the steel industry s really at the crossroads in this country " "We are totally committed to revitalizing it and to continuing to be a major supplier of steel in the West, where Geneva is the huh of our " operation The mill has been expanded by I S Steel over the years The nitrogen plant was the first of its kind in a major steel plant in the I S when it began operating in 1957 The three blast furnaces were enlarged and additoinal capacity was added to the open hearth furnaces The plant produces strip steel in coils and cut sheets, structural steel shapes, and a variety of pipes up to 40 inches in 1944 By war's end the plant had shipped if mm ytji m.f. mi Sparks fly when Geneva's first steel was poured in Feb. 4, 1944. white-ho- steel explodes from the open hearth furnace. t Governor Scott Matheson conducts the Provo Municipal Band at Geneva rally. D(EmoiL(M)QaG DiiraCRSIDCKP o Qir-gi- o QJD o QI o ! V fra 7 ' tn fir-- in o We represent over 50 insurance companies giving us the latitude to find the best insurance program to fit your needs. Our friendly agents can help you with all your insurance needs from personal to commercial. If you are unhappy about your insurance coverage and its cost give us a call and let us find the security you want and save you money at the same time. cd r, " '" o Qzm o rnnH inji' BONDS WRITTEN, AUTHORIZED & ISSUED IN OUR OFFICE WANT A QUOTE? CALL ffffks J Gary Rand Bond Manager Crem, 225-244- Steve Nielsen Agent, Provo 373-22- 2 (Utah Dm) 226-SAV- E 000 Joe Wright Agent, Orem 224-204- 4 (1 AtJ 3 Dave Fotheringham Agent, American 756-761- 9 Fork Bill Sutton Agent, Orem 225-244-2 Bob Taylor agent, Provo 377-243- 4 EIRay Meham Agent, Payjon 465-253- 3 Dean Wilkenten agent, Orem 224-20- 44 Paul Haider Dick Norton Agent, Spanish 798-862- 5 Fork Agent Orem 226-SA- VE John Groben Agent, Springville 489-726- Barbara Bowen Agent, Orem 226-SAV- 1 E LA. Bowen Broker, Orem 1385 W. 1600 N. 225-244- I 2 . |