Work on a major expansion at an aluminum recycling firm in Rosemount is underway.

Spectro Alloys Corp. held a groundbreaking attended by Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday to get started on the $71 million project that will bring 50 jobs to the southeast metro suburb and allow the company to increase its recycling capacity by nearly 120 million pounds a year.

The expansion comes as an effort to improve recycling rates in Minnesota and meet demand for a growing market for recycled aluminum, the firm said in a news release last fall when it announced plans for the 90,000-square-foot facility going up on Hwy. 55 just east of the Pine Bend Refinery.

In Minnesota, about half of aluminum beverage containers are recycled, said the firm, citing data from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

"This investment isn't just about adding jobs and producing more, it's about helping Minnesota as a whole become better at recycling by creating an extremely valuable type of aluminum that manufacturers need," said Luke Palen, president of the state's largest scrap aluminum recycling plant.

Spectro Alloys, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, will use state-of-the-art equipment for sorting, melting and turning consumer scrap aluminum into sheets and billet alloys. Extruders turn billet into products that include railings, window and door trim and structural components for cars, boats, trailers, docks and airplanes.

Provided
Gov. Tim Walz chats with Spectro Alloys President Luke Palen

The expansion will allow the company to produce recycled aluminum, reduce carbon emissions by 95% compared to creating new aluminum and "save enough energy to power every home in Minneapolis and St. Paul combined, " the company said.

"We're building a strong and sustainable economy in Minnesota," Walz said. "And it's businesses like Spectro Alloys that are creating jobs and valuable products and communities like Rosemount, where businesses have the support they need to be successful. This is a win for Rosemount and a win for Minnesota."

Last year, Spectro Alloys opened a 70,000-square-foot distribution warehouse and installed emission-reducing equipment.