Tenaris shows off results of $137M investment in Sault plant

Tenaris showcased its Sault Ste. Marie operation to local media Thursday as the company continues to upgrade the pipe-making facility.

The head of the company said the plant is a one-of-a-kind operation in Canada, serving most of the country’s oil and gas sector.

On a typical production day at Tenaris, red-hot steel poles pass through a seemingly endless maze of machinery. The tubes are hollowed out, cooled and piled before they’re shipped out.

Ricardo Prosperi, president of Tenaris Canada, said the company has invested heavily in the Sault plant.

“The total figure that we have invested in the last two years here in Sault Ste. Marie (is) $137 million,” said Prosperi.

“This is what’s already approved, some of the things are already in production, and some we are very close to implementing or to starting the production.”

Prosperi said the $137 million has gone into upgrading some of the plant’s machinery, as well as increasing the company’s workforce.

“Two years ago, or one year and a half ago, we had something like around 150 employees here at this mill," he said.

"We are pretty close to 600 employees, we are continually hiring people.”

Prosperi said COVID-19 made for some challenging times for the company due to public health restrictions and some minor supply chain issues.

Overall, he said recent investments in the Sault are aimed at strengthening the company’s Canadian operations as a whole.