Spectro

May 1, 2023

Spectro Alloys, a 50-year-old recycling company, recently opened this 70,000-square-foot warehouse in Rosemount. The company is seeking state assistance for a $76.8 million expansion that will bring 70 jobs to the city in three years. (Submitted rendering) Spectro Alloys plans $76.8M expansion in Rosemount Spectro Alloys, a 50-year-old recycling company, recently opened this 70,000-square-foot warehouse in Rosemount. The company is seeking state assistance for a $76.8 million expansion that will bring 70 jobs to the city in three years. (Submitted rendering) Spectro Alloys plans $76.8M expansion in Rosemount Aluminum recycler Spectro Alloys Corp. is seeking state assistance for a proposed $76.8 million expansion in Rosemount, a project that company officials say will bring 70 new well-paying jobs to the city. The expansion of Spectro Alloy’s campus along Highway 55 includes a new 90,000-square-foot building on a 42-acre site, the company said. Spectro Alloys hopes to break ground in 2024 and be operational mid-2025. “With this expansion, aluminum recycling at Spectro Alloys will save enough energy to power every home in Minneapolis and St. Paul combined,” the company said in a statement. Luke Palen, the company’s president, said in an interview that the demand for recycling is going up. “We have been recycling for 50 years here, but this is probably the most significant expansion in our history,” Palen said in an interview. Spectro is requesting a $400,000 Minnesota Investment Fund loan to help with the project, according to a notice from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. DEED says the $400,000 loan could be forgiven if the company meets job-creation and wage goals. The project might be eligible for a job creation award of up to $250,000 and a capital investment rebate up to $500,000, DEED said. Spectro Alloys said the jobs would pay $30.86 per hour on average. In April, the Rosemount City Council approved resolutions in support of the applications for state assistance. Eric Van Oss, Rosemount’s Economic Development Coordinator, told the City Council that the requests have to go through the local government, which does the “initial due diligence,” submits the application to DEED and disburses awarded funds. “These are state funds. Nothing is actually coming from the city of Rosemount. We are just the applicant on behalf of the company,” Van Oss said. Van Oss said in an interview that Spectro is one of the largest employers in the city. The company purchased land adjacent to its existing campus at 13220 Doyle Path E. to allow for the expansion, he added. Consumer demand for aluminum extrusion and sheet products is driving the expansion. Specifically, it will enhance the company’s ability to “sort and melt” scrap aluminum and “cast it into various sheet and billet alloys,” the company said. Aluminum billet is used in products like railings, window and door trim, structural components for cars, boats, airplanes, trailers, docks and more. Consumer demand for sustainable products, green building standards and other factors are driving demand for recycled extrusions, the company said. The state funding request is the subject of a May 17 public hearing at 180 E. Fifth St., 12th floor, in St. Paul. The hearing begins at 1 p.m. The project builds off other recent investments in Rosemount. Spectro’s recently completed projects, with a combined value of about $10 million, include a new warehouse and “state-of-the-art” pollution-control equipment, the company said. Spectro Alloys said the new 70,000-square-foot warehouse on its campus reduces truck traffic in and out of the building while “streamlining the production, shipping and receiving processes for safety and efficiency.” Completed last year, the building uses solar power and process heat to reduce energy consumption. Other green elements include “aesthetically pleasing” trees and native prairie landscaping, the company said. In November, Spectro Alloys announced the installation of a new “state-of-the-art baghouse” to reduce emissions. The baghouse captures particulates generated during operation through a series of fabric filters, according to a company blog post. Founded in 1973, Spectro “uses industry-leading technology to turn what’s used into what’s new by recycling aluminum for regional die casters and foundries,” according to its website. End users include “automotive, power sports, home, turf and snow maintenance,” and other industries. By signing up you agree to our