California plots jobs boom with first manufacturing facility of its kind in 50 years

California is preparing to fire up a massive new steel mill for the first time in more than half a century, bringing hundreds of jobs and a whopping $700 million investment to the Golden State. The Mojave Micro Mill, currently under construction in Kern County, is expected to create roughly 700 jobs while ushering in a new era of steel manufacturing in California.And local officials are sweetening the deal with a lucrative tax incentive that could reward the company with approximately $7,500 for every new job created.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story San Diego-based Pacific Steel Group broke ground on the sprawling facility in March 2025, marking the first steel mill built in California in more than 50 years.The ambitious project, located on 174 acres in Mojave, will feature a massive 500,000-square-foot main building and several smaller structures, according to SFGATE.But the price tag has skyrocketed.Initially projected to cost $540 million, the facility’s estimated construction costs have ballooned to approximately $700 million, company officials confirmed to the outlet.Despite the hefty increase, construction remains on schedule, with commercial operations expected to begin in late August 2027.Once operational, the facility will become “the only steel plant in California that both melts and rolls steel products,” Pacific Steel Group Vice President of Mill Operations Mark Olson told SFGATE.The manufacturing powerhouse is expected to employ welders, electricians, millwrights, computer systems engineers and specialists in automation and robotics.In September, the Kern County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a property tax refund agreement designed to encourage the company to hire local workers.The deal could deliver more than $3 million in incen...