One of the fastest growing companies in the country is opening a state-of-the-art slag processing and distribution facility at the Port of Indiana. Phoenix Services recently signed a multi-year contract with ArcelorMittal to provide slag and processing services for the Burns Harbor steel giant. Slag is a product generated during the iron- and steel-making processes. Phoenix Services has opened a 13-acre distribution facility at the port and is installing processing equipment at various locations throughout the ArcelorMittal complex.

"We are in the process of installing the most technologically advanced slag processing plant in the world," said Doug Lane, president of Phoenix Services. "We plan to produce the highest quality aggregates in the industry at production rates far exceeding other competitive operations. We are very pleased to be selected as the slag contractor for ArcelorMittal and are also pleased to be working with the Port of Indiana to facilitate our operations."

Phoenix Services was founded by Lane in 2006 and is headquartered in Kennett Square, Pa. The company now has 25 facilities located in the U.S., Europe and South Africa and nearly 1,000 employees domestically. The company is creating roughly 80 jobs between the port facility and operations within the ArcelorMittal mill.

Phoenix will dig the ArcelorMittal blast furnace pits to recover scrap iron and slag and will process the slag into aggregate for use in local road construction projects. Slag can also be used in general construction, ice control, railroad ballast and improving water and soil quality. ArcelorMittal will reuse the recovered iron and Phoenix will distribute aggregates from the port by truck for local construction and by barge to manufacturing facilities around the country.

"Phoenix Services is a world-class company and we are proud to have them at the port," said Ports of Indiana CEO Rich Cooper. "Phoenix is making major investments into state-of-the-art processing equipment here. The company's overall growth in the last five years is most impressive."