AMG Vanadium: A Major Business in Ohio

Industry Sector: Energy and Chemicals

AMG Vanadium, the only vanadium producer in North America, specializes in the environmentally beneficial conversion of oil refinery and power plant waste products into specialty metals sold to steel and stainless steel producers.

AMG Vanadium is widely acclaimed by global refineries as the industry-leading environmental solution for the management of spent catalyst. It is ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certified, the largest recycler of spent catalyst in the world, and the largest ferrovanadium producer in North America.

Through conversion of waste materials into valuable products, AMG Vanadium provides an important solution and risk mitigation for refinery partners. In addition to the CO2 mitigating benefits of AMG Vanadium’s environmentally superior technology, the use of vanadium in steel alloys improves the tensile strength of the steel by as much as 40%.

AMG Vanadium offers the following products: Ferovan®, FeNiMoly®, and Revan™ (a calcium aluminate slag) which are used by the steel industry in construction, automotive, energy transmission, infrastructure, national defense, and many other applications including rebar and bridges. AMG Vanadium also produces a byproduct called LimeAdd™ (calcium sulfate) which is used for waste solidification and stabilization.

Ohio is at the center of American energy transformation. With low-cost feedstock, unrivaled proximity to end markets, billions in state investment, deregulated energy market, and Ohio’s unique shale formations containing large amounts of natural gas, natural gas liquids, and crude oils, the state’s energy and chemicals industry is unparalleled.

By creating and applying innovative metallurgical solutions to global sustainable development of natural resources and CO2 reduction, AMG Vanadium is an established leader in the worldwide energy and chemicals industry. Producing highly engineered specialty metal products and advanced vacuum furnace systems for the energy, aerospace, infrastructure, specialty metals and chemicals markets.

AMG Vanadium’s environmentally conscious spent catalyst reclamation process generates no wastewater, has the industry’s lowest air, water, and solid waste emissions, has the highest industry conversion to saleable products ratio (over 99%), and significantly reduces CO2 emissions compared to a primary mining and processing operation. With a rich history as a community-minded Ohio citizen, AMG Vanadium is grounded in its company values which include safety, value creation, respect for its people, and acting with integrity.

AMG Vanadium is a proud member of Vanitec and the Vanadium Producers & Reclaimers Association (VPRA) and is actively engaged in promoting the interests of the vanadium industry through these organizations.

Read the Success Story: Ohio Helps AMG Vanadium Remain the Global Leader in Its Industry

Founded in 1952 and headquartered in Cambridge, Ohio, AMG Vanadium employs over 3,200 people throughout the world, with production facilities in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Czech Republic, United States, China, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, Poland, India, and Sri Lanka, and has sales and customer service offices in Belgium, Russia, and Japan.

AMG Vanadium employs around 150 people at its headquarters in Cambridge, Ohio, located in Guernsey County. After operating in Cambridge since the company’s inception in 1952, AMG Vanadium realized the need for expansion, driven by growth in spent catalyst generation and increased demand for processing of spent catalyst. The Cambridge facility includes state-of-the-art raw material storage buildings, multiple roasters, and certificates recognizing its Safety, Environmental, and Quality management systems.

In 2019, AMG Vanadium broke ground on its second Ohio plant located in Zanesville, Ohio in Muskingum County, adding an additional 100 production, maintenance, and management jobs in southeastern Ohio and essentially doubling its spent catalyst recycling capacity and ferroalloy production. An Ohio location close to the existing plant allows AMG to oversee and manage both operations cost-effectively. The more than $200 million investment cements Ohio’s status as the vanadium capital of North America.

AMG Vanadium cites the state’s pro-business regulatory environment, business-friendly climate, and overall work ethic within the state as important factors in the company’s growth and its expansion to the second AMG Vanadium facility.

Tom Centa, president of AMG Vanadium, shared his excitement for the state wanting businesses to grow and develop in Ohio. “We've looked at this project in a number of places, both outside the U.S. and in other states, but really came back to Ohio as the primary driver, one of the bigger benefits to creating a new facility here.”

JobsOhio supported AMG Vanadium’s expansion with a JobsOhio Revitalization Grant (JORG). The state of Ohio also supported the company’s new location in Muskingum County with a Roadwork Development Grant (629) and a Job Creation Tax Credit (JCTC). 

Through partnerships and collaboration with JobsOhio, Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority, APEG, Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth, and Ohio Development Services Agency, AMG Vanadium continues to grow and capitalize on synergies between its two Ohio plants. From initial concept through land acquisition, these and other Ohio partners were integral to AMG Vanadium’s successful expansion.

Centa also shared, “The benefit that we’ve experienced working with JobsOhio and OhioSE has really been tremendous. They know our processes; they know the kind of corporate citizens we are.”

Financing of the plant was made possible with the help of the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority. “Those incentives and the willingness to really work with us, being enablers, and not barriers to growth within the state has been really helpful.”

This collaboration and support across the state has led AMG Vanadium to be the leading processor of spent catalysts and producer of ferrovanadium. 

The team at AMG Vanadium is deeply committed to the company’s values and is inspired by the opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment. The team is continuously challenged to keep growing and learning and is provided with tools and support needed to reach everyone’s full potential.

In Ohio, organizations have access to an abundant and industrious talent pool, from technically inclined engineers and scientists to those in professional services and healthcare. This workforce is educated, committed, skilled, and productive. Ohio continues to rank in the competitive labor market and in 2020, ranked #1 in affordability under the U.S. News Opportunity Rankings.

Ohio recognizes the importance of continued investment to drive economic prosperity, stimulate funding, and create high-quality jobs. People from across the nation are finding the career they want and the lifestyle they deserve in Ohio.

JobsOhio supports local Ohioans with job opportunities and the business by connecting with local talent in Ohio. To explore career opportunities with AMG Vanadium and other major businesses in Ohio, visit amg-v.com/careers and Find Your Ohio.

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