A groundbreaking ceremony for Nucor’s new $3 billion steel sheet mill took place Friday in Mason County, marking what may be the biggest industrial project in West Virginia history. There has already been extensive site preparation work on the 1,700-acre site since the project was announced in January 2022. The state-of-the-art steel mill is expected to employ about 800 workers and 2,000 construction workers will be involved in building it. Gov. Jim Justice anticipates the development will create tens of thousands of jobs. Nucor reported its workforce is among the highest paid in the steel industry with average compensation topping $130,000. The state had to provide about $300 million in incentives to land the Nucor mill. The facility is expected to be operational in 2026.